


Black & White

by LuxAndLight



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Familiar! Baekhyun, Familiar! Minseok, Hybrids, MAMA Era Powers (EXO), Multi, Permanent Injury, Semi-disabled Character, Wizard! Jongdae, past assault, powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26679565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuxAndLight/pseuds/LuxAndLight
Summary: Two Familiars meant twice the adventure, they said.Two Familiars meant twice the help, they said.But if you ask Jongdae, they only thing that doubled was the trouble along the way.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun & Kim Jongdae | Chen & Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen, Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin, Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 11
Kudos: 69
Collections: Shall we Chen? Fictional Fest First Round





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a self-prompt fic inspired by Pokemon: Black and White! (hence the title)
> 
> A massive thanks to my beta reader for supporting me all-throughout this wonderful journey! She's been one of the reasons why I keep doing what I do. <3
> 
> Finally, a truckload of thanks and a clap-and-a-half to the mods of this oh-so-wonderful fest! Thank you for letting me join!
> 
> And without further ado, happy reading!

“And may nature be fair to us all.”

Thunderous claps stunned Jongdae out of his stupor as he barely registered the High Wizard ending his speech. Still, the deafening noise wasn’t able to take the boy’s eyes off his wrists, where the small blurs of black were slowly forming in between the multiple bracelets he had. Looking to his right, he could see Chanyeol clutching his right arm in excitement and Yixing peering into his left, a dimpled smile blooming on his face.

 _'Perhaps nature's fair to anyone but me,'_ he mused, lips forming into a thin line as he gazed at the marks peeking through the beads and threads. 

He had barely suppressed the sparks that threatened to escape from the skin of his arms and quickly took a deep breath to collect himself, willing his gift to return to his core. Now was not the time to lose control, there has to be some explanation for _this_ , right?

The crowd of wizards-to-be dispersed all around him, some literally dissipating in thin air while others opted to happily jump around and celebrate with their friends. Snapping out of his confused state, the soon-to-be mage hastily rolled down his yellow sleeves before slinking back into his own temporary house, lost in his own wandering thoughts. 

The moon has never been fuller to celebrate this wondrous occasion, but for once in his soon-to-be long life, he couldn't care less. He just hopes Chanyeol will save him some Kokobop candies if he ever joins the nightly campfire huddle later (and knowing him, he will).

As soon as Jongdae reached the small wooden hut, he threw the door open and set one of the leather-bound books on the table. With his free hand, he reached out to a lopsided candle and held the wick between his thumb and forefinger, a small spark emitting from his fingers' pads and lighting it up with ease. 

He repeated this action to the other blobs of wax and wick around the table without taking his eyes off the book's pages. One glance at his _predicament_ had him flipping through the aging document faster.

_There has to be some mistake!_

Unfortunately, nothing in the scriptures depict the problem he was facing now, no matter how much he skimmed and scanned at the yellowed pages. Groaning tiredly, he hesitantly pulled down his right sleeve and let his thumb roam the inked surface of his arm. He was supposed to be celebrating for finally reaching the last part of his Apprentice's Course; for receiving his Familiar Mark! 

Well, _Marks._

And there lies the root of all his problems.

“Jongdae!”

The distressed male turned around to see Chanyeol lumbering his way into his hut with Yixing in tow. Both were sporting bright grins, and while Chanyeol had been smiling since the day he was born, Yixing usually wore a stoic face that betrays his spacey personality. Nonetheless, seeing his best friends in such a happy mood did lift up his a little bit. After all, he wasn't the only one who was given the Familiar Mark.

"And we thought we'd finally get you out into the open for at least an hour," Chanyeol grumbled jokingly as his hands were, unfortunately, Kokobop-less. “Yet here you are, scuttling back into your man-cave.”

“Leave me be,” Jongdae placed his head in between his hands, “We’ll be venturing in an enchanted forest tomorrow for god knows how long, and I’d like to remember what having a roof feels like.”

“Well, it’s not _just_ an enchanted forest,” Yixing piped in, leafing through the book Jongdae opened mindlessly, “It’s Elyxion. Anything could happen.” 

The room soon dissolved into silence, the soft sound of paper meeting paper being the only noise heard aside from the crickets chirping outside. Jongdae glanced at the Chanyeol and found him looking intently at the dying light of one of the candles, but he had been with the youngest for more than enough years that he wasn't focused on the dimming fire regardless of his piercing stare.

“This is it, right?” Chanyeol muttered, taking a seat on the bed, “After years of analyzing similar-looking herbs and spilling questionable substances, we’re finally…here.”

Jongdae hummed, “We’re finally getting our spirit guides.”

“Familiars,” Yixing corrected, pausing his actions to stare at Jongdae seriously, “Spirit Guides are _evil_. Corporeal ghosts that are said to take different Familiar limbs and create a body that they can—”

“Not this again,” Chanyeol whined, clutching onto the sleeves of his shirt, “We left the campfire early to _avoid_ hearing that story, not for you to reiterate it!”

A small slither of silence blew through the room before a meek voice rang out. “It’s not like we’re going to find one in the forest…right, guys?”

The healer shrugged, “It’s Elyxion.”

“Of all the places of magic, it just _had_ to be this one,” Jongdae shivered, although finding a bit of amusement in watching the giant’s face paled considerably.

"I mean, couldn't we just, you know, have a ritual that can summon our Familiars?" Chanyeol squeaked, flopping on the bed with his arms outstretched, "It'll make our lives easier, that's for sure."

Yixing rolled his eyes, “You’ve been reading too many human stories, ‘Yeol.”

Jongdae snorts at his friend’s remark. Contrary to the profound literary works the humans make about them, no, they don’t just summon their Familiars using a spell, nor do they appear on their coming of age. To prove themselves to the Council and Familiar itself, one has to venture into the forest and search for their partner.

“I can’t help it!” Chanyeol retorts, “There’s just something really comical about how they exaggerate our side of the world. Like, there’s this series where we have to use these magical sticks called wands to use our powers!”

“Humans aren’t all that knowledgeable about our world, as they should be.” Yixing responds, “We may only have a large body of water separating our side with theirs, but that doesn’t mean they have to know everything about us.”

“I know, but wouldn’t rituals be easier? We may have our Familiar Marks, but finding our partner in such a vast place won't be a walk in a park. Not to mention the other creatures lurking around in there.” The giant shivered.

“If the greatest wizards had trouble finding their Familiar in that forsaken place,” Jongdae grumbled, “Finding two will be an absolute nightmare.”

Both of his friends perked up at his mutterings, peering curiously at the thunder user as he hesitantly lifted his sleeves for them to see what was underneath. Even in the dim light of the candles, the dark markings still stood out against Jongdae’s skin like paint on a blank canvas. The Familiar balances out the mage, right? So what does it imply if he has _two_?

Now that he’s got a proper look at them, Jongdae was beginning to see that his right mark resembled a multipoint star with a small and hollow circle in the middle, the sharp ends that went in all four cardinal directions stretching longer than the rest. Comparing the mark to the other, his left contained a more simple geometric snowflake that had a hollow diamond in the center of eight V-like spikes that protruded outwards.

“This is a first,” Chanyeol said, eyeing the marks curiously, “You sure you didn’t get this before the orientation?”

“You know Junmyeon would strangle me if I let myself get inked.” Jongdae sighed, tracing his left Familiar Mark lightly with his finger, “It’s just…why does it have to be two? You know how traditional my family is. They may be expecting a lot, but I know _this_ isn’t what they had in mind.”

Yixing and Chanyeol shared a glance before moving to Jongdae’s side, the former lightly kneading the younger’s shoulders to release some tension in his muscles while the other tried taking his mind off the topic with his rambling.

“You know how our world works, ‘Dae.” Yixing consoles, “Nothing stays the same forever.”

“‘Xing’s right. Besides, these things are like—like a breakthrough! Who wouldn’t want double the adventure?”

“You mean double the trouble.” Jongdae sighs, “I still need to find both of them first, and not to mention I need to get them to _like_ me.”

“You’re really worried about that?” Chanyeol gasps, reaching over to firmly place a smack on his shoulder. “You’re Jongdae! Of course, they’ll like you.”

Ignoring the slight sting on the abused body part, Jongdae shrugs and responds, “It’s still a long shot.”

“Well, yeah, but look at it this way. With the two of them by your side, you’ll get to do things that you can’t experience if you had just one.”

“Not to mention that you have both of them to guide you.” Yixing adds, “You’ll find your way in this world in no time.”

Jongdae opened his mouth yet could not voice out a reply, lips settling on a thankful smile instead. It was at moments like these where Jongdae was grateful to have friends like Chanyeol and Yixing. They were the only people, next to his brothers and parents, who truly cared for who he was. And thinking about what awaits him the next day, he just hopes that his Familiars share the same sentiment.

“Don’t worry, ‘Dae,” Yixing said, “There must be a plausible explanation for all this. And whatever it is, we’ll be with you all the way.”

The blonde male smiled fondly before gasping in realization, “It’s getting late! You two should be in bed right now. You both know we have a long day ahead of us.”

“Yes, mom.” Chanyeol rolled his eyes at his tone, but stood up anyway, “You coming, ‘Xing?”

The herbalist straightened up before peering earnestly at Jongdae, "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

A beat passed before the younger nodded, “Positive.”

Yixing observed him for a few more seconds before his hand suddenly shot out from his side and ruffled chestnut hair, earning a whine and a few swats from the other.

“I knew you were going to do that,” Jongdae grumbled, but soon grinned to reciprocate the dimpled smile the other gave, “Goodnight, ‘Xing.”

“Sleep well, ‘Dae.”

And with a soft creak and click of the door, Jongdae soon found himself accompanied by his thoughts once more. Stretching his arms over his head with a stifled yawn, he was about to hit the sack on the bed Chanyeol messed up (much to his dismay) when he saw a strange gleam in the corner of his eye.

Before he can investigate, a numbing sensation swiftly washed over his system as if someone had dunked a whole bucket of ice water on him, yet he felt...comforted somehow. He took a glance at the two marks on his wrist, wondering if one of them were near enough to cause such a reaction from him. 

Sadly, the gleam left as fast as it came, leaving an empty feeling at its wake. Cold settled beneath his skin unpleasantly, but his core was heating immensely, almost as if it was yearning for...for whatever-or whoever-made him feel that way. Groaning tiredly, Jongdae gripped the edge of the table to ground himself for a moment before his eyes settled on the open books.

_Surely a few more volumes won’t hurt anybody…_
    
    
    ______
    /       \
    〈        〉
    \      /
      \    /  
    \  /
    \/
    ⚡
    

“Wake up!”

Jongdae jolted upright from where he sat, a muffled shout barely getting through his cloudy mind when he accidentally let out an electric shock within the vicinity. His back and arms were singing curses at his bad decisions the night before, his stretching doing little to nothing in soothing his aching muscles. With bleary eyes, the apprentice winced at the sunlight filtering through his windows as well as the disgruntled Chanyeol standing next to said light.

“‘Yeol?” he murmured, looking up and down to take in his friend’s appearance, “Your hair looks like fried noodles.”

“Mhm, good morning to you too.” The taller huffed, running his hand through his locks in an attempt to tame it, “You were up all night again, weren’t you?”

“Maybe,” Jongdae gave a lopsided smile, still getting the sleep out of his system, “I wasn’t up for too long…I think.”

Chanyeol sighed. Arguing with his friend’s sleep-deprived state is useless. “Alright, let’s get you some food.”

The outside was bustling with mages and apprentices of all ages, probably even more than usual. Of course, it wasn’t much of a surprise since they were situated in the borders of Elyxion. Most of the people running around were the ones with the Familiar Mark, readying themselves for the adventure that awaits them once they pass through the Arch, also known as the large entranceway of Elyxion.

Glancing to his right, he could see the tall stone structure standing proudly before the evergreen trees. Its shadow loomed over most of the apprentices already standing there, waiting for the two gold and silver bells attached to each of the Arch's sides to ring and start their once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

An experience that Jongdae will take in a few hours from now.

With a nervous breath, he reached out to the side. He swiped at the fruitful bushes lining the border between the small sanctuary and the forest, grabbing a branch heavy with his favorite multicolored berries before digging into it in an attempt to calm his nerves.

“There’s a reason why we surrounded the sanctuary with Kokobop bushes, you know.” A new voice stated, “Forest creatures get disoriented once they catch a whiff of those berries.”

Turning around, Jongdae gave his best feline-like smile to the man who spoke in an attempt to charm them, "Yeah, but I'm hungry! After all, I'm not a forest creature, am I?" 

The owner of the voice, Kyungsoo, shrugged aloofly, “You could be.”

And that’s how a laughing Chanyeol ended up with a frowning Jongdae by his side, the latter trying, and failing, to shield himself from the short and mean man with the other’s towering figure. The lightning apprentice vehemently refused to even look at the other as they settled on one of the picnic tables near the canteen, but the moment Kyungsoo appeared with a rather delicious peace offering of bread and jam, he was sold.

“If you think you can bribe my forgiveness out with food,” Jongdae declares as he twists open the jam’s metal cap, spoon already in hand, “You’re wrong!”

Chanyeol snorts, “‘Soo can wait for five more minutes before you stop your silent treatment yourself.”

“True,” Kyungsoo muses, “Daedae _is_ adorable even when he’s angry.”

Jongdae sputtered an “I’m not!” as he felt his face heat up from the nickname, opting to distract himself from their booming laughs by stuffing the leafy twig and unwashed berries inside his pouch (for future snacking, of course). Fortunately for him, Yixing had waddled over to their table, looking slightly confused as Chanyeol was trying to catch his breath.

“‘Xing! They’re bullying me!”

Yixing stared at the three other magic-users before shrugging, “They probably have a good reason to.”

Jongdae mustered up an expression of betrayal at the herbalist, avoiding Chanyeol’s flailing arms as the giant’s laugh only heightened. But when he did land a hit on the smaller man’s shoulder, a jolt of electricity suddenly sparked through his arm, making Chanyeol convulse and topple over his seat with a whine.

Wizards and witches alike were staring at them weirdly as they continued to get back at each other and laugh, but Jongdae and the others were too invested in their impromptu game to care. Before long, the initial chaos died down to a jest of subtle jabs and snickers, Jongdae can finally enjoy Kyungsoo’s peace offering in peace.

Knowing that this will be their last meal with each other for a few days, they decided to exhaust the time with jokes and nonsensical topics to ease themselves before their inevitable departure. Jongdae contemplated bringing up the incident that happened yesternight but decided against it as to not make the other worry before their own life-changing journey. Everything happens for a reason, after all, no matter how complicated and confusing the reason may be.

“And then he said—”

“Jongdae!”

Frozen mid-bite into the jammed toast, the man slowly turned around and scoured the area before a body had suddenly collided with his and wrapped his small figure into a hug, the poor bread popping out of his mouth in surprise before landing on the ground with a sad flop. 

Before Jongdae had the time to even register what happened, or scold the perpetrator for that matter, the person removed him from his embrace but still kept him within arm’s length, and Jongdae couldn’t suppress his gasp.

“Jongin!” 

He leaned over for another embrace, before remembering the tragedy that happened prior, “You made me drop my toast, you brat!”

He slapped the tanned boy’s shoulder in revenge, ignoring the younger’s wail as he surged forward and held him once again. Jongin was his younger brother by roughly a year and a boy with a different physique and even more different hobbies than his older brothers, making other people, and sometimes their friends doubt that they're part of the same family tree. 

While Jongdae and Junmyeon focused on mastering the Mage’s Course, Jongin had his eyes set on Magical Movements and Creation, also known as “Dancing with a little more pizazz”. The moment Jongin showed his skills in his first recital, they knew that he was born for the stage almost as much as Junmyeon was natural in anything related to magic. 

But regardless of their apparent differences, Jongdae and Jongin stuck with each other through thick and thin. They both value their family more than anything else, which is probably why Jongin went out of his way to travel to the sanctuary and send Jongdae off. Even the mere thought of it warmed the lightning mage’s heart.

“You’ve gotten your Familiar Mark, right?” Jongin’s eyes gleamed in curiosity, “Let me see please!”

Jongdae instantly paled. He unconsciously reached towards his wrists and tugged his sleeves downward as the younger male tried to peek, segueing into ruffling the taller’s hair and making him complain rather than continuing his pursuit on his brother’s Mark. Once Jongin caught on to his plan, though, he crossed his arms and huffed.

“Hmph! I knew you were going to be like this.” Jongin spoke, “I bet it’s as beautiful as ‘Myeonnie’s!”

Jongdae rolled his eyes fondly at the younger’s eccentric attitude, but his smile couldn’t help but falter for a second at the mention of their brother, who appeared to be absent in Jongdae’s most awaited day. 

Junmyeon was nothing short of perfect, in the eyes of their parents and the world. He was their father’s prodigy and the youngest mage to join the Wizards Of Legion Faber, the organization of skillful magic-makers, as their ambassador. To young Jongdae, Junmyeon was the best role model he could ever look up to, a smart and charismatic boy. 

But with anyone who had found their purpose, he often spent a little _too_ much time on it.

“Busy again?” He sighed, his entire figure deflating in sadness.

“Well,” Jongin hummed, “Hyung was chosen as the guest of honor for this year’s Magical Alliance, but—”

“I-it’s fine…” Jongdae quickly cut off, voice wavering slightly as he tried to push away his somber mood, “I know he doesn’t have to go—”

“And miss sending off our little bolt?” a clear voice rang through the air, “Not in a million lifetimes, ‘Dae-ya.”

Eyes widening, Jongdae turned around to see a familiar man sauntering over to them with calculated and confident steps, making the passersby stare and get intimidated by his strong aura and steely expression. But having been with him for almost fifteen years of his life, he could see the small upturn of his lips as bright as the voice he inherited from their mother.

Jongdae wasted no time in dashing into his brother's arms, almost stumbling out of his seat in the process. But luckily, Junmyeon swiftly caught the younger in his arms, bringing him into a tight hug that the other quickly reciprocated. All of Jongdae's worries seemed to wash away the longer Junmyeon had his arms around him, and so he was reluctant to part from the elder, not that the latter minded the slightest bit.

“I thought you had a special event to attend?” Jongdae mumbled into his shoulder, “The magic alliance or something?”

Junmyeon chuckled and pulled away, but not before ruffling the younger’s hair, “Nothing is as special as your big day.”

Jongdae scrunched up his nose from the cheesiness and scurried away to fix his hair, but a faint blush appeared on his cheeks nonetheless. As busy as Junmyeon may be, there isn't a time when the eldest hasn't done his best to be with them, from comforting them in their time of need or just being there for moral support. He would give the world away if it meant giving his brothers eternal happiness.

“Besides, you might set something ablaze if you use your lightning again to call me.” Junmyeon grins, turning to the Jongdae’s friends who were still in awe. “He used to do that ever since he got his affinity. I remember this one time where he sent this massive wave of lightning just for me to find out that he needed to get rid of a cockroach in—”

“Why that story?” Jongdae whines, weakly slapping the elder’s arm. “I’ve grown out of that phase!”

“Sure you have.” The wizard rolled his eyes before placing a hand on his hips. “So, where is it?”

Jongdae blinked, taken off-guard. “Where’s what?”

“Your Familiar Mark, silly!”

Uh oh.

The soon-to-be mage could feel himself break out in cold sweat as five pairs of eyes stared right at him from all sides, from the concerned gazes of his friends to the inquiring look of his brothers. His fingers began unconsciously fiddling with his shirt and he desperately tried to think of an alibi. 

He couldn’t lie to both of them and possibly return with two of his Familiars in tow, nor show them one and only search for that Familiar. And so, with his options being too much of a wild gamble or against his moral code, he just has to show them the bitter truth. Thousands of “what ifs” swarmed his mind and he tried to settle his next words to say in front of them until...

“You can’t.”

Jongdae’s eyes widened, sputtering to follow up his statement. “I-I mean, not yet anyway! I want you to see th—see _it_ along with my Familiar!”

Both of his brothers seemed confused, with Jongin even sporting a pout, but Jongdae responded with the most natural smile he had. Well, that wasn’t exactly what he had in mind, but there was no turning back now.

“Well, if you say so. You’re the boss after all.” Junmyeon gave a smile before wrapping his arms around the younger male, Jongin following not a moment after. “This may be your crossing towards adulthood, but remember that you don’t need to stress over every single thing, alright? You’ll find your Familiar in no time.”

As soon as they parted, Junmyeon waved his hand around the empty air to his side and, in a puff of smoke, out came his Familiar, a white Conti rabbit named Byul. 

It came as a complete surprise to the whole world when the wizard prodigy’s Familiar is a soft-looking, non-magic-centered herbivore. Still, Byul proved to be a helpful ball of fluff that balances out the serious male and his workaholic nature, and of course, tidies up after his works. If there’s one thing the Great Junmyeon isn’t great at, it’s cleaning up after himself.

Reaching down, Junmyeon took the small drawstring pouch from the giant rabbit before giving his younger brother a bright smile as he gracefully untangled the knot, keeping it shut, and opened the little bag.

“We were originally going to give you this after you’ve found your partner, but I think you’ll be needing this now.”

Reaching into the pouch, Junmyeon slowly pulled out a thin silver chain that ended with a golden lightning bolt charm that was hanging onto the former by a simple brass loop. With one swift motion, the eldest had placed it on Jongdae’s neck before stepping back with a proud smile.

“May our little bolt strike true.” Junmyeon stepped back to take a full look at Jongdae. He may not admit it, but Jongdae can see his eyes shimmering with unshed tears as he nods towards the other. “You’ll find your way eventually.” 

Jongdae hadn’t had the time to let his words sink in when the sound of two bells ringing through the air caught everyone's attention and made them look in the direction of the Arch, where most of the apprentices were slowly but surely making their way through the wide entrance. 

“Run along now, or you’ll miss the crossing.” Junmyeon gave a pat on the back to his brother, “I’m sure your Familiar is excited to meet you.”

Sharing one last hug with his brothers, Jongdae waved goodbye before turning towards the Arch, feeling Yixing’s hand messing up his blonde hair as an arm slung itself on his shoulders by an ecstatic Chanyeol and another coiling around his arm from a nervous Kyungsoo. 

Jongdae tries to calm his rapidly beating heart with a few deep breaths, trying not to look small against the looming shadow of the Arch. Familiars will not like the sight of a weak-looking partner, after all. Glancing at his sides, he could see the bright and nervous faces of the people who stuck with him through this course and will stick with him through his crossing. A bout of bravery flared in his system before he took the first step.

There’s no time to lose!


	2. Chapter 2

He’s pretty sure he’s lost.

Jongdae tiredly sat down on a large tree root with a somber groan, his feet screaming from exhaustion from hours upon hours of walking towards Mother Nature knows what. There was no doubt that the maps they displayed in the sanctuary definitely undermined the size of this place. 

Pulling up both his sleeves for the nth time to uncover the same inky-black symbols that were his Familiar Marks, nothing had changed, it would seem, but so was his boring routine of eat, sleep, walk, repeat. Overall, there was nothing noteworthy that happened for the past few days, or weeks (he couldn’t even tell at his point). Well, other than those earth sprites that tried to take his pouch, but one zap was enough for the culprits to drop the small bag and make a run for it.

But the reason for his melancholy mood wasn't his inability to tell time, nor was it about the annoying little brats. When Junmyeon often recalled how he got Byul, it mostly involved him fighting tree witches or exploring underground caves and ruins in the forest. Still, now that it's Jongdae's turn, the most worry he had was whether he had seen the same baobab tree for the fifth time.

Where was the thrill? The adventure? 

The ideal experience he had on his mind of a wonderful journey of meeting his Familiars along the way was obliterated by the cold, bitter truth. As odd-sounding as it is, it was like the time he was five, and the Witch Craft his parents got for him didn't match the pictures he'd seen on the poster. He still played with it, of course (his mother wouldn't let him hear the end of it if he threw a fit), but the sheer disappointment he got for setting himself up conditioned him to be more careful about what to expect. 

But the one time he let himself go; the _one_ time he expected something amazing to happen on this life-changing experience, he was let down once again. Jongdae shoved his hands inside his pant pockets in disappointment before kicking away a half-eaten fruit to tame his anger.

But as he turned towards another random direction, something had hit his back. Whirling around, he took a few wary glances around his environment as he channeled his magic if need be. But when he looked down, however, his posture relaxed, and his scowl deepened as the fruit he just sent away was right by his feet again. 

As though his day couldn’t get any worse, it seemed like the forest creatures wanted to play. Putting it away once more, Jongdae waited for a response. But before he can get his bearings, the fruit shot out from the bushes and smacked the mage on the forehead, making him stumble back from shock rather than pain.

Soft chatter akin to laughter filled the clearing before the culprit decided to reveal itself, but Jongdae felt his anger dissipate when he was face-to-face to one of the rarest creatures found only in Elyxion; the rainbow-tailed lemur. It's known for its colorful tail, but the likes of Jongdae know there’s more than meets the eye. The more color its appendage has, the more intelligent (and mischievous) it is.

The mage’s eyes quickly shifted onto his wrists to see if it was one of his Familiars, but the marks remained as dull as ever, dampening his mood quite a bit. Looking back at the creature, Jongdae saw it stick its tongue at him before hightailing out of his sight.

Familiar or not, it’s a small beast that’s worth another look. Jongdae didn’t hesitate on his decision before he started chasing after it, determined to catch up to the critter. He thought he could perhaps befriend it, but as smart as that lemur may be, he didn’t think it would trust a being who it threw fruit at. Keeping his gaze on the long multicolored tail, Jongdae quickened his pace to make up for his short strides. 

Through his labored breathing, Jongdae picked up the sounds of rushing rapids to his right. The lemur must have led him to the river to mask its footsteps in the noise, but it proved to be very useful as the auditory observation was enough of a distraction for him to lose sight of the vibrant tail. Slowing down into a jog, the mage swore he had his eyes on the mythical critter, but it seemed like it had disappeared. 

Leaning on a tree to catch his breath, Jongdae strained his ears for any unusual sounds around the area. Even with the sloshing of water in the background, the mage can still hear faint chattering in the distance accompanied by small feet scuttling over dried leaves. But before he can pinpoint the direction of the sounds, it was suddenly replaced by high-pitched screeching that made goosebumps form along the surface of his arms.

Wherever the lemur was, he didn’t think it was having fun anymore. 

Pushing back his doubt, the blonde man trekked towards the bloodcurdling noise, lightning encircling his wrists in case a hostile creature decided to ambush him. The sounds of the river were getting louder as Jongdae slinked through the trees and vines until he came across another clearing. But unlike the last one, this was next to a cliff, the rapids rushing wildly below the ravine, no doubt.

The screams were ear-piercing at this point, but Jongdae had braved the horrendous screeching and moved forward, only to startle and hide beneath the shadow of a tree when he heard something other than the shrieks, something similar to heavy footsteps.

Peeking through the trunk's side, Jongdae could see the small beast crawling around in what seems to be a little black cage, screaming its head off as it helplessly scratched at the metal grates. Beside it, with his back facing the mage, was a man clad in dark clothing, a bright red insignia of an intricate-looking eye embroidered on his back. 

_This was it!_ Jongdae thought _This is the moment I’ve been waiting for!_

A quick but sharp zap to the jugular will definitely knock the man out long enough for him to set the lemur free. His gut was telling him to use the element of surprise while the man hasn't detected him yet, and he knew his plan was foolproof.

Swiftly running towards the enemy with light and silent steps, he clamped both of his hands around his opponent’s hooded neck and sent the discharge immediately. He felt the raw energy coursing through his veins and exit his palms, but to his surprise, the man didn’t even flinch, much less drop on the ground.

This is bad.

He was too caught up in his own surprise to see the hand gripping his wrist before it was too late. The man suddenly threw him forward with outrageous strength as if he was just a mere ragdoll, sending him flying across the clearing until he collided painfully with the ground and rolled to a stop just before he could drop off the cliff. Taking one glance down, he could see the merciless rapids coursing down below, crashing against the jagged rocks that braved every shove the waves had to offer.

A hand wrapped around his throat with an iron grip before he was effortlessly picked up. Jongdae placed his hands on the man’s gloved hand as he struggled against his hold, fighting to let oxygen in his system before he passed out from asphyxiation. The apprentice’s powers were starting to go haywire, but no matter how powerful the shocks he sent, nothing was making the hooded man budge.

“Pathetic.”

Panic swarms the apprentice’s mind and, in a moment of desperation, Jongdae feels his fist shoots out towards the hood, and what he hopes is where the man’s cheek is. But then, he felt...nothing. No cheek, no bone, not even a head! His punch collided with the thick cloth that was supposed to cover his features, but other than that, everything else was just air. 

Suddenly, yellow glaring eyes bore through the hood and rendered Jongdae immobile for a second, before white-hot pain seared from his neck and swiftly spread throughout his entire body. The burn was accompanied by a prickling sensation along his arms and feet, and Jongdae couldn’t help but widen his eyes as he convulsed. The man had used his powers against him.

His vision was slowly getting clouded over and his system suddenly started shutting down. The next thing he knew was the hand suddenly disappearing from his sore neck and his body feeling like it was swimming through the air.

Wait, why was the man so far away now? His dark and blurry figure was getting smaller and smaller…

Coldwater seeped through his skin and his consciousness was swept away, the last thing he saw was the man walking away.
    
    
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Blinding light flooded his vision as soon as Jongdae opened his eyes, but groggily raising his arm to shield his eyes from the intruding ray did little to nothing in dimming the light. In fact, it may have just brightened considerably. The air shifted from Jongdae's left, and suddenly he felt _it._

His heartbeat abruptly quickened, an adrenaline-like feeling coursing through his veins and making his breaths shorten into quiet pants. Is this what dying feels like? They often say your life flashes past your eyes before you pass, but Jongdae’s vision was like he was staring at the sun for too long. The new feeling of raw energy filled his core and overwhelmed his system, causing sparks to escape to the surface of his arms. Jongdae thought he heard a gasp, but he was too busy to keep himself from going haywire to fully notice the odd sound.

Just as he was about to lose control of his powers, he suddenly felt something land on his shoulders, gripping them tightly in a way hands would, or maybe they _are_ hands. Instantly, the unknown sensation was flushed from his system, and the light in his eyes vanished, plunging him in darkness once more.

What…what happened?

“You’ll get wrinkles if you frown too hard, love.”

Startled out of his reverie, Jongdae snapped his eyes open to see a boy with ebony-black hair and a striking boxy grin. A beat or two had passed before he realized that the stranger’s face was very close to his and he couldn’t help letting out a frightened scream, slapping the boy’s arms off his shoulders before scrambling back onto the damp soil.

Now that he finally regained his senses, it seems like his clothes were also wet as his yellow cotton tunic clung onto him like second skin. He had half a mind to be annoyed at the uncomfortable feeling, but the memories of his bitter defeat stuck out in his mind much like a dragon in a herd of cattle. 

How could he just underestimate his enemy like that? He usually had a good judge of character based on what he sees, but that man…

Whatever. He should have been more careful.

Disappointment settled in the bottom of his stomach as he brunched up his soaking sleeves up to his elbows, squeezing out the water of one sleeve with one hand before moving to the other. He had much more important things to do than—

“You can take your shirt off, y’know.” 

Snapping his head upwards, Jongdae jolts at the sight of the stranger still there. Huh, perhaps it wasn’t a figment of his imagination after all. Jongdae narrowed his eyes at the stranger who was still staring at him, the latter having the audacity to wink. “I won’t mind.” 

Jongdae shot him a scandalous look, “I don’t even know who you are!”

“Well, your strange glowing wrist might be able to answer that for you.”

Jongdae sent a doubtful look over to the boy before raising his arm to his peripheral vision, doing a double-take at the odd sight. He raised his other arm to compare the two symbols together and, while his left looked like exactly what it was from before, his right was shining a crystalline glow. It was dull enough to be pleasing to the eye, shimmering similarly to when light meets a river. 

The apprentice glanced back at the stranger and his mind began to reel from the absurdity of it all. This is his Familiar. After countless days wandering around the forest, fate had decided it was time for them to meet...by letting Jongdae float down a river. Now, what are the odds of that?

“Hey, I know I'm very dashing if I do say so myself.” The stranger snickered, “But a name would be pretty nice too.”

Suddenly, Jongdae was all too well-aware of his probably very rude staring. A crimson blush came over his cheeks as he sputtered a muffled excuse as a weak defense on his already broken dignity. So much for a good impression.

“Kim Jongdae, but just Jongdae will be fine.” He finally sighed out, “Soon-to-be mage, given that I leave this place alive.”

The boy gave another boxy grin before sticking out his hand. “Wolf hybrid Baekhyun, at your service.”

The mage furrowed his brows, eyes staring intently at Baekhyun’s fluffy hair. Only then did Jongdae see the ebony hue of ears twitching from underneath his locks, as well as the fluffy tail, moving excitedly from side to side behind the lithe figure of the hybrid, the swaying appendage blending in with the dark clothing he was in.

“Y-you’re a…wow.” Jongdae exhaled, “Please don’t misinterpret, but I kind of expected hybrids to be more…” He gestured to the other’s black tunic and pants, “Bare.”

“Well, it’s not my fault that random humans keep appearing every year in this forest.” Baekhyun huffed, crossing his arms, “I don’t know about you, but hearing people’s screams whenever they see you got annoying eventually. Like this one time, some guy walked into me-"

“Okay! That’s enough.” Jongdae cut off, feeling his blush spread from his cheeks to his neck, rendering his entire face as red as a tomato. This hybrid’s brash attitude will take some time to get used to.

“What about you? The creatures here in this forest call humans with glowing marks their Cordials, so you must be mine.” Baekhyun peered at the soaking man’s wrist before glancing back at the male, “I kind of expected to run into you in the forest, not floating in the river.”

The unpleasant memories resurfaced once more before Jongdae turned away with a huff, not wanting to pour his anger onto the annoying (but innocent) hybrid. “It’s nothing.”

“It certainly doesn’t look like nothing if you keep glaring at the poor tree like that.” Baekhyun chuckles quietly before reaching out to put an assuring hand on Jongdae’s shoulder. “Penny for your thoughts?”

A wave of comfort suddenly wrapped around his core like a warm embrace and surprised Jongdae for a moment, but then he glanced back at the hybrid and immediately deduced on what was happening. Having solidified their link with this meeting, this unfamiliar sensation must be his Familiar’s efforts on easing his disgruntled spirit. 

But even though Jongdae appreciates the gesture, the memory of that mysterious hooded man still loomed over his mind and kept his mood dampened.

“I got into a fight, I lost, I fell into the river. There, happy now?” The apprentice snaps, moving away from Baekhyun before opting to lean on a tree, head in his hands in shame.

He was supposed to be over the moon now that he finally found one of his Familiars, but his loss against that mysterious man still stung like a fresh wound. How can a weakling like him face his own partners and demand their respect when he can’t even prove himself to them? The apprentice strained his hearing to listen in on whether the hybrid was still there, but the quiet flow of the river was the only response.

Jongdae chuckled bitterly to himself. Baekhyun had probably left once he realized how much of a wimp he is, and honestly, he can't blame him. He'd leave himself and his powerless ass too once he got the chance.

“Hey, what did I say about frowning too hard?”

Jongdae startled at the closeness of the voice, moving back a few steps when he saw that Baekhyun was a little too close for comfort. The apprentice shot him a confused look and wondered how was he able to get close to him without him knowing.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself now,” Baekhyun soothed, walking closer to the other. “What happened is in the past. You still got a great future ahead of you!”

“Easy for you to say.” Jongdae huffed, eyes watering as his frustration started to boil over. He had enough people telling him the same thing over and over again and they expect him to be okay with it. They wouldn’t understand. “How can I be a great mage now if I can’t even win a simple duel?”

Baekhyun's smile faded into a sad frown. In two quick strides, he was in front of the blonde boy, this time softly taking his hand in his to prevent him from turning away again. "You shouldn’t let one setback hinder you from moving forward.”

“But—”

“But nothing! Listen, ‘Dae—can I call you ‘Dae?” Baekhyun paused before waving his hand dismissively. “Anyway, you’ve been focusing too much on your past. I know it what happened still stings in here,” He points a lithe finger towards his chest. “But that alone shouldn’t justify giving up. Look at us! We’ve met because of your loss, right?”

“I...I guess so.”

Jongdae gave the hybrid’s words a thought. That _was_ his initial goal. He spent entire days scouring through different parts of the forest, hoping to meet his soon-to-be partner, but then he got sidetracked by that hooded man and his loss. He was no sore loser, by any means, but the fact he got defeated so easily may haunt him for a while. 

“Besides, who knows? Maybe you’ll meet your opponent again in the future.” Baekhyun shrugged, “But you’ll be ready then because I’m here now!”

Jongdae rolls his eyes but he appreciates his confidence. “I really want to be a great mage, but it feels like I’m grasping at stars at this point.”

“Then keep grasping.” The wolf responded immediately, “Find other ways to reach your star.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works—”

"Whatever." Baekhyun waved him off, "What I'm trying to say is you can't just give up on your ideals. It's your lifeblood, your drive. Letting go of your hopes and dreams and expect to still make progress is impossible! They're a package deal, just like us!"

“Then what should I do?” Jongdae questioned.

“Get back up and keep moving forward.” The hybrid stated with full certainty, “You may not be able to reach for those stars just yet, but as long as they’re still there, make them your guides to your next destination.”

Jongdae opened his mouth to retort, yet nothing came out, his Familiar's pep talk rendering him speechless. But above all else, he did have a point. If he wants to get stronger, he needs to keep moving forward with his goal in mind. There was no use in moping about losing one battle now.

Wiping away the unshed tears in his eyes, Jongdae gave a small smile to Baekhyun to which the latter returned with his signature boxy grin, this time looking a lot more genuine and void of his usual cheekiness. As rough as their start may be, Jongdae knew that the wolf was the perfect Familiar. 

"So, dear Cordial, what's the plan at hand?" Baekhyun smirked, "Just choose a path, and we'll take our first step there."

Jongdae hummed, thinking about their next move when Baekhyun loosened his grip slightly and caused the apprentice to glance at his arm, the unlit Familiar Mark on his wrist, catching his attention. Raising his arm for Baekhyun to see, Jongdae gave a knowing smile.

“You have another one?” The wolf beamed excitedly, squinting to take a good look at the symbol that kind of looked like a snowflake, "Well, then. There's no time to lose! Lucky for you, I know this forest like the back of my hand!"
    
    
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“We’re definitely lost.”

“Nonsense! The hidden meadow is right around the corner!”

“You said the same thing two days ago.”

Baekhyun paused from his trekking, letting out a tiny “oh” before plastering that cheeky smile back on his face, making Jongdae roll his eyes at the hybrid. As much as the apprentice wants to get annoyed at his Familiar’s aloof nature and a weak sense of direction, he couldn’t deny that they have gotten closer in the past few days, making it harder and harder to stay mad at the albino wolf and his shenanigans.

Baekhyun was a naturally funny guy to be with, putting Jongdae at ease within the first few hours of getting acquainted with each other. He had this certain charm that his Cordial found annoying at first, but it soon grew on him eventually, making him realize that it’s the reason why he found Baekhyun to be so unique. 

He also liked to joke and bicker with him but the wolf was quick to pick up on his limits, often stopping or changing the topic if it gets too personal or awkward, to which the other was thankful. Jongdae figured he would reveal some of his personal life to his Familiar sooner or later, but he’ll just have to wait until they meet his other Familiar. Jongdae wasn’t too keen on showing how much of a loser he is just yet, and repeating that story to the other Familiar would just be a nightmare.

Now, the only thing they have to worry about is whether or not they can find this mysterious hidden meadow that Baekhyun keeps talking about (“It _is_ real and we are _not_ lost!”). Jongdae almost forgot the reason why they were going there in the first place, which is to start seeking his other Familiar there, but so far the mark hadn’t glowed yet and there are no signs of the place.

“Aha!” Baekhyun takes a few sniffs around him before pointing at yet another random direction, “I could smell the flowers from here! This wa—AH!”

Jongdae was startled out of his thoughts at his Familiar’s loud cry as he watched the ground beneath Baekhyun crumble collapse, taking him down with it. Sprinting as fast as he could to where the wolf descended, he let out a relieved sigh when he found out that Baekhyun had fallen into a shallow hole and not some sort of crevice.

“Baek! Give me your hand!”

The hybrid in question was nothing short of a giggly mess, ebony hair sticking out in every direction with an addition of twigs and leaves. Strange blue smudges had also appeared on his arms and face that Jongdae soon discovered as berry juice after he had pulled him out of the hole.

Checking their link, Jongdae immediately felt the heightened bliss the hybrid was sharing with him. It had been so intense that the apprentice had to reel back for a moment and attempt to regulate the elated emotion his Familiar emitted, but then the latter began shifting repeatedly. 

“Daedae-ya~” Baekhyun slurred, leaning against his Cordial, “I liked it theereee…it had these berryyyyyz and shweeeet smelling leaves but it hurted my noseee…I don’t like it there now. Wheeeee!”

Jongdae chuckled, trying to support the other’s weight, “What has gotten into you, Baek?”

“Xiuweeeet berryyy…”

Taking a whiff at the hole, Jongdae finally realized that it reeked of a naturally sweet scent that he was very familiar with: Kokobop. Taking a peek at the bottom, it was covered with leaves and a few flattened berries that were probably crushed under Baekhyun’s weight. After helping the loopy wolf increase his distance from the saccharine-smelling space, Jongdae sets him down next to a tree before going back to inspect the area.

By the looks of it, it looked like an entire bush was thrown down there, which made it very odd considering they haven’t come across a single Kokobop plant in a long while. Heck, the hole, in and of itself, was a red flag on its own. Reaching out to feel its sides, Jongdae hummed to himself. It was too smooth to be a natural creation, even if there were giant groundhogs in the vicinity.

Jongdae scrunched up his nose in concentration before standing up from where he was kneeling as he dusted off the bits of dirt clinging onto his pants. Something was not adding up here. Everything just smelled fishy and they weren’t about to stick around to find out what happens next. Turning around, Jongdae found his Familiar happily waving his hands at no one in particular, bringing immense confusion to his Cordial.

“Come on, Baek. Let’s get out of here.” He moved away from the hole, “Baek?”

“Annyeong! Main vocalist Baekhyun imnidaaaaa~”

The hybrid gave a wobbly rendition of a bow, almost planting face-first into the ground, before he started belting out a note that probably didn’t exist, scaring away the birds and pixies within a twenty-meter radius.

“Baek, what are you—”

Just before Jongdae was able to place a hand on his shoulder in concern, the hybrid twirled away and then started doing a weird dance that involved a lot of pelvic movements and body rolls that had completely taken the apprentice off-guard, the latter’s face heating up from the sensual display in front of him.

 _‘Aish, why is he like this??’_ he internally screamed, hiding his face behind his hands, _‘Why am_ I _like this?!’_

But before Jongdae can observe the other’s drunken state any longer, something metallic had whizzed past the two, embedding itself on the trunk behind Baekhyun instead of the wolf’s shoulder as he accidentally dodged it with as much grace as an intoxicated hybrid could have. He may not have given a shit now, but Jongdae definitely did, eyes wide in horror as he stared at the dart with red markings that pierced into the trunk. 

_That symbol…_

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jongdae launched himself at Baekhyun, tackling him to the ground just as three more darts flew dangerously close to the latter’s jugular. This seemed to have gotten the Familiar’s attention as he coyly smiled at his Cordial, but his grin faded just as fast as he spotted three black figures entering the clearing and started approaching them cautiously. Before the apprentice could get his bearings, he was suddenly flipped over with Baekhyun’s back facing towards him.

“Not today, buckos!” Baekhyun giggled, slapping one hand unceremoniously on Jongdae’s eyes as the other was fixed at the perpetrators, “Let there be...light!”

Jongdae was startled when he saw a quick flash of light from behind the other’s hand, gathering enough strength to pry off the cover just in time to see the residual glow of Baekhyun’s veins. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the time to ponder on the strange markings as he immediately saw the trio of black-cloaked humans rubbing furiously at their eyes, all of them tightly holding onto long metal sticks that look very similar to stun batons. 

Standing up, Jongdae wasn’t one for confrontation, but with humans running around the forest, it certainly wasn’t a good sign. 

“What business do you have in the forest of Elyxion?” He questioned sternly, “This is the land of magic. You have no right to loiter on these grounds.”

“This forest won’t be yours for long, boy.” The tallest one glared daggers at him with red, watery eyes, “Once we finish our lord’s final form, we will be _invincible._ ”

Hiccup-y laughter filled the area as Baekhyun threw an arm around Jongdae’s shoulder, “Invincible? Psh, you can’t even take a little light to the eyes. Better luck next time~”

All three men tightened their grip on their weapons before the closest one launched himself at the two, “You’ll pay for this, mutt!”

Just before the men were about to move, Jongdae foresaw the attack and thrust his hands forward in, releasing a bout of energy that he knew was enough to daze and knock the men back a few feet. But what he didn’t expect was a beam-like lightning strike shooting out of his palms, a harsh contrast to the usually thin coils he had known and worked with all his life.

The intense white streak made Jongdae recoil back a few steps, but it didn’t stop him from watching as it traveled sporadically through the air until they reached all the metal in sight. The apprentice had not expected for the move to be so powerful, but looking at the glowing mark to his right and the arm tightly clinging onto him, his confusion turned into overwhelming euphoria as his onslaught hit his opponents dead-on.

Screams that were muffled by fabric filled the area before the three masked men dropped to the ground, the melted chunks of what used to be their weapons on the floor beside them. 

The pungent smell of ozone that took over the area was enough to catch Baekhyun’s attention from fiddling with Jongdae’s necklace before he whirled the human around to face him, a bright smile gracing his features as his tail wagged up and down. Jongdae never thought that the feeling of elation Baekhyun shared could get any fiercer, but he was just as overjoyed to get annoyed with it.

“I knew you could do it!” he giggled, crushing his Cordial in a tight hug. “You just had to belieeveeee!”

Jongdae rolled his eyes and was about to return the embrace when the hybrid suddenly parted away from him and began prancing around their (hopefully) unconscious perpetrators. The apprentice sighed, using this opportunity to carefully take one of the darts off the tree and place it inside his pouch. 

As much as he loved his Familiar, if a coherent Baekhyun was exhausting to look after, a loopy one will be a nightmare. But even as he felt the heat of exhaustion slowly creep up his limbs as the bout of adrenaline in his system slowly began to halt, the apprentice gathered up enough strength to catch Baekhyun by his neck and place the wolf’s arm over his shoulder before hobbling away from the scene.

“You and I will make great pairs!” The hybrid exclaimed, humming as he shifted closer to the Cordial, “Mmm, pears…I like apples too. Oh, and strawberries. I like sweet…”

“Sure buddy—”

Jongdae flinches away when something wet moves up a stripe on his cheek, the shock almost making him drop Baekhyun in the process. Glaring at the wolf, Baekhyun only grinned as his tail waved happily in the air.

“Sweet.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Don’t take joy in my misery!” 

It had been high noon of the following day when the hybrid finally came to, rolling onto his stomach with a groan before curling in a tight ball, the myriad of curses spewing from his mouth enough to make even the devil blush and his Cordial laugh out loud.

After spending the entirety of yesterday helping (and occasionally chasing after) Baekhyun through the woods, they had finally, _finally_ reached the so-called hidden meadows which were, Jongdae wants to clarify, not so hidden after all, considering different magical creatures pass by and frolic happily on the emerald-green grass. Still, he set up camp near the edge of the meadows and waited for his Familiar to wake up. 

“My first exploration with you and I got Kokobop-ed into another universe.” he groaned, black tail flopping pitifully on the ground, “What happened while I was out of it?” 

Jongdae shrugged, lips slightly curved upwards as he nonchalantly gave some herbal tea he prepared to the poor hybrid, which the latter inhaled in one quick swoop. “You kissed me.”

The apprentice moved out of the way just in time as Baekhyun suddenly sprayed the air with the lukewarm liquid, giggling at his Familiar’s startled exclamations while the scent of peppermint permeated in their area. It was rare to see him tomato-faced and panicked that Jongdae can’t help but burst into laughter, aggravating Baekhyun once more.

As much as he wanted to feel bad at the other’s suffering, spending hours trying to corral a very flirty and loopy wolf almost drove Jongdae to the brink of insanity. Fortunately, though, the promise of a lifetime of companionship (and his Familiar’s embarrassment) had been enough to persuade himself not to strangle the cheeky canine. 

Safe to say it was worth it.

“Now that you can say more than two sentences without falling over, you still have a bit of explaining to do.” Jongdae sets another coconut shell of tea in Baekhyun’s hands, “Let’s start with the light show you displayed in the clearing.”

Baekhyun nods in acknowledgment, taking a few quick sips from the cup. “Yes? What about it?”

“What about it? You have _powers_ , Baek! Surely you could have told me!”

Baekhyun tilts his head. “I thought you already knew? Every single creature here in Elyxion has an affinity with an element.”

At Jongdae’s confused furrow of his brows, Baekhyun sighs and begins waving his hands in intricate motions. The apprentice watched in awe as the rays from the sun began to waver and bend to his Familiar’s command before contorting into still figures of a man, a dog, and a dwarf.

“Welcome to Powerology 101! A wise troll I knew once said that everybody is linked to the most prevalent element present during their birth. I, for one, was born on a lovely sunny day in the meadows, and I’m guessing you were born during a lightning storm?”

“Thunderstorm, actually.” Jongdae corrects, “Though, my mother kept narrating the time when my first cry synced with a lightning bolt that hit the house, so that might be another reason.” 

“Hmm, interesting.” The wolf grins, caressing his makeshift beard. “But anyway, whether it be bending, manipulating, creating, or whatever, everyone has that connection with Nature that allows them to use Her gifts.”

“But of course, it takes a cognitive mind to perceive such a connection and hone it.” As if hit by a spotlight, the human and the dwarf simultaneously brightened while the quadruped animal did the opposite. Baekhyun gestured at the phenomenon with a grin. “You don’t see squirrels using the wind to get food now, do you? Well, that’s because of this rule.” 

Jongdae took one more second to let everything sink in before letting out a hum. “So, everyone with a rationale can use their abilities?”

“Pretty much. I mean, who _doesn’t_ want to live using their full potential? Not using your affinity is preposterous!” He finishes his drink with a satisfied sigh before standing up to stretch, waving his hand in one simple motion that makes the illusion disappear. “That’s the gist of it. I can give you a rundown of my abilities now if you want.”

Excitement thrummed through the apprentice as he quickly fixed his pouch. He had honestly forgotten the lesson Baekhyun had relayed, but then again, he didn’t expect to get a hybrid as one of his Familiars. Especially one whose affinity has a connection with his. Perhaps things are really starting to light up for Jongdae. 

“Alright, hit me with your best shot.”

Jongdae was startled out of his reverie, curiously glancing back at the wolf. Baekhyun positioned himself in a fighting stance and had a determined look on his face that the other hadn’t seen him wear before. His perplexed expression prompted Baekhyun to repeat what he had said, but even then, Jongdae was still dubious about his plan.

“Just act like I’m an enemy!” he persuades, “Use your lightning. Come on!”

Jongdae was still hesitant, but he complied with the other’s wish and sent out a small bolt. It immediately fades out before it could even enter the hybrid’s radius and the latter frowns.

“What was that?” He huffed, rising out of his stance. “Again.”

After confirming that this wasn’t one of his Familiar’s wacky experiments, Jongdae could put himself at ease and focus on the other. Raising his hand, Jongdae shot out another bolt, much bigger than the last one, at the hybrid, yet a simple wave of Baekhyun’s hand easily made it disappear.

Baekhyun’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “Again.”

Competitiveness began to slither in Jongdae’s mind as he sent one attack after the other, hoping to overwhelm the other with as much of his power as he could. But unfortunately, Baekhyun stopped his lightning from nearing just as fast, dodging some of the others while having enough time to send a flying kiss towards the other.

“Your attacks are getting weak by the second.” Baekhyun comments, “Widen your stance and stop tensing your arms. You’re fighting with your abilities, not with your fists.” His tail wagged happily. “Like this.”

Baekhyun went back to his original position and swiftly raised his arms from his sides. Squinting, Jongdae can see the sunlight bending towards him as he accumulated more energy before thrusting his hands in different directions. The beams exited his palms in sporadic patterns, yet it still managed to burn through every single thing it collided with. 

By the end of his showcase, Baekhyun didn't look the least bit tired as he continued grinning at the other.

"Your turn."
    
    
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“Arms up. Yeah, like that!”

With the following advice, Jongdae was able to shield his eyes from the flash of light as he countered with his own attack, laughing at the whine Baekhyun let out when he had successfully zapped his tail and made it floof out. 

The sun had already set a while back and they’re now using the spheres the hybrid had conjured up thanks to his affinity, the compact orbs granting them enough light to continue their play fight. Baekhyun was calling out his attacks to help his Cordial adjust to his powers while making sure to protect his vitals from Jongdae’s counters. 

If the apprentice wasn’t amazed by how skilled his Familiar was with his abilities from before, he surely was now. The fact that he can sustain two of his abilities while coaching Jongdae made the latter wonder how long the wolf took to master his affinity, but when his pants were heavier than before, Jongdae knew he was already pushing his limit.

He placed his arms up to the side of his head to signal his surrender. “Okay, I think that’s enough for today.”

“What?” Baekhyun slurs a little. “We need to raise your endurance. Hey, get back here!”

Jongdae ignores his call and throws his canteen towards the hybrid instead. He could hear him grumble out unintelligible gibberish, but from the corner of his eye, he watches as Baekhyun picks up the container and drinks as his life depends on it. The apprentice couldn’t help but snort before opening his pouch and pulling out a few Kokobop to snack on, being careful to take out the dart first so as to not accidentally prick himself on it later.

“Yah! You brought some of _that_ with you?” Baekhyun exclaims, quickly shimmying away from the other. “Are you trying to put me out of it again?”

“Unless I’m up to the task of taking care of your loopy ass, no thank you.” Jongdae groans, popping a few inside his mouth. “How come you still have the energy to keep moving even after being inebriated? I lost to you five times yesterday. _Five times._ ”

“I’m half-wolf, remember? I can and can’t get drunk, so I get stuck in this limbo of being too zany while sober at the same time.” He shrugged before waving it off. “Being a hybrid is complicated, that I can tell you. I spent a few years living like an animal before I developed cognitive thinking and it was,” He shuddered. “It was not pretty.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a while before Jongdae spoke up. “You’ve been in this forest all your life? How were you able to survive?”

“The greatest weapon you have is your mind,” Baekhyun spoke deeply, tapping the side of his head like an all-knowing being before snorting. “But yeah, I trained with my abilities ever since I was a little pup and, well, here we are. There’s a lot of dangerous creatures here in the forest, so I might as well use my affinity to survive.”

He paused for a moment to think. “But, I also thought I needed to be strong in the eyes of my Cordial; to keep them safe and guide them through their lifetime.”

“Well, you’ve certainly achieved that.” Jongdae chuckles dryly, “Unlike me.”

“But now I’m here, right?” “I’ll train with you every day until we meet that hooded man again so you can beat his ass! Well, I’m going to thank his ass first because we met because of him, but then you’re going to beat it! Alright?”

Jongdae rolls his eyes at his Familiar. “But how are we going to find him? This is Elyxion, after all. We’ll also need a strategy to take him down.”

Baekhyun waved him off. “We won’t have a problem with that. _I_ just so happen to have the best nose in all of Elyxion!”

The wolf took one deep sniff as if to prove his point, but then recoiled and stood up immediately, ears twisting every which way in alert. Jongdae was alarmed at his odd demeanor and opened his mouth to ask, but was stopped with a firm look from the wolf.

“Humans.” He mouthed, sniffing at the air once more. 

Jongdae was about to stand up as well to help Baekhyun if need be, but then the latter suddenly turned and dove towards him before he was able to do so. Jongdae let out an “oof!” as his legs were crushed under his Familiar’s weight, yet before he could figure out what was happening to the other, Baekhyun rolled off of him with a sigh, hand enclosed on a very familiar object.

“Why do you have this?” Baekhyun grimaced, eyeing the dart with distaste. “It reeks of humans! Don’t worry, I’ll just—”

“No!”

Jongdae shot out to stop the hybrid as soon as his palms started lighting up. Taking the dart away from the Familiar, he was about to shove it back in the pack when an idea began to form inside his head.

“Wait, you said you have a keen sense of smell, right?” Jongdae pushed the dart closer towards the wolf. “We can track the hooded man using this!” 

“We can?” Baekhyun questions, “Didn’t you say that the dart came from humans?”

“Yeah, but look.” Jongdae turned the object so that the red-eye insignia was in Baekhyun’s line of sight. “This symbol was on the hooded man’s cloak. He must be connected to the humans!”

The hybrid hums, “And since those humans came out after I fell in that hole-trap thing, perhaps they have some sort of connection too?”

“It’s possible. But why are there humans in this forest in the first place?” 

“Well, the sooner we find out where they’re coming from, the sooner we’ll find the answers we’re looking for!” Baekhyun snatched the dart from the other and took a whiff of its scent before pointing towards the West. “That way!”

“Oh no, you don’t.” Jongdae was quick to snatch the other’s hand. “We’ve just fought for half of the day, Baek. Lay down and rest before I shock you into paralysis.” 

At Baekhyun’s crude smile and wiggling eyebrows, Jongdae groans and pushes his face away, opting to sleep on the soft grass before his Familiar jumps on top of him with a howl. The apprentice gave a faux groan of annoyance but otherwise does nothing to escape his predicament, and so the wolf pressed himself closer and lays his jet-black tail on top of them. 

Tomorrow is another day.
    
    
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"Come on! This way!"

Jongdae barely caught sight of Baekhyun's dark hair before it disappeared in the throngs of leaves and vines, leaving him to blindly run towards the direction where the wolf hybrid went and hope for the best. The apprentice didn't know when the forest became this crowded, but by the time he realized that everything was condensed around him, he was already smacked in the face by three branches.

He was left with a small cut on the cheek and a bruised ego as he heard the booming laughter from a certain wolf, but that didn't stop his mind from reeling at the fact that perhaps they were closer to finding the humans' base, giving him a bout of adrenaline to mask his embarrassment with excitement.

But once they get there, what will they do?

Going back to the human’s warning from before, Jongdae hadn’t really bothered to fully analyze what they said and wrote it off as a baseless threat to scare them. But, now that they connected the hooded man to the humans, could it be that he is their superior? What creature is he to side with the humans and turn his opponent’s affinities against them?

"Here ‘Dae, here!"

Before Jongdae could pinpoint where the voice came from, a hand suddenly shot out from the ferns and grasped his arm, the culprit not giving him enough time to calm down from his shock before he began pulling him through some thick undergrowth.

"Baekhyun!" The apprentice hissed, "Where are we—"

A hand was suddenly clamped over his mouth just as they burst into another clearing, yet this one was more ill-lit and dreary than before. A large wall of mountain rock stood parallel to where the two were currently standing on and a hollow cave could be seen through the thick cluster of vines hanging on the stone. 

Jongdae felt himself get manhandled into a bush and he mutters a complaint behind his Familiar’s hand, yet Baekhyun’s only reply was a finger pointing at the direction of a few dark figures standing stoically near the edge of the clearing, their physique looking very similar to the humans from before.

“It definitely smells of humans in here.” Baekhyun groans, fanning the space in front of his nose lightly. “Okay, we’ll take out as many of the ones on guard before infiltrating their base, which seems to be that cave over there.” The hybrid paused, ears flicking towards the clearing. “I can’t seem to hear any noise, but no matter. We’ll get to the bottom of this human invasion, okay? Any questions?”

Jongdae was about to shake his head in negation when he felt it. It was subtle, but the telltale chill was definitely there. He opens his mouth to reply. “Do you feel cold too?”

“Yeah, we might be at a disadvantage here since we’re lacking a bit of sunlight and open sky, but I know our training has also taught you to compromise.”

“No, it’s not that. I-it’s really,” Jongdae shivered. “It’s _cold_ cold. Like, freezing cold—”

“Hold on, I hear rustling.” Baekhyun gasped, eyes widening. “Come on, we’ve got to move.”

Ignoring the feeling of ice seeping into his skin, the apprentice moves towards the direction the hybrid was pointing at, careful not to make any more unnecessary noise. He knew he should focus on whatever plan Baekhyun had come up with, but every step he took was sending tiny prickles along his skin and making goosebumps form along his arms. 

Jongdae was perplexed. The temperature had been tolerable a while ago, but now it felt like he was being frozen from the inside out. A distant memory popped up from the back of his mind, but before he was able to dwell on it, Baekhyun had jumped up and summoned a quick flash to blind their enemies.

Jongdae jumps out of his hiding place and tries to keep up with the momentum his Familiar had set, following them up with scattered attacks of his own, but stopped immediately as soon as a body of their enemy slumped before his feet. He already had a feeling that something strange was happening and the tufts of grass sticking out of the slumped figure’s clothes only solidified his skepticism. 

Squinting, he moved closer towards the “body” and pulled up the robe that was covering it, gaping when it was filled with nothing but grass and tied straw. It was just a decoy? But what—

Before he could finish the thought, the icy sensation from before suddenly spiked up to a point that almost bordered on numbness. He could hear Baekhyun call out for him, but with his head feeling like it’s filled with cotton, he sounded like he was miles away. 

The apprentice narrowed his eyes to decipher what it could possibly be. Wa...watch...?

“Watch out-!”

Jongdae didn’t remember when he had fallen to his knees, but it seems like he was rendered immobile— _frozen_ —until a strong force collided with him from behind.

The apprentice’s head was spinning, or was it the world around him? Either way, he knew he was free from whatever spell he was put on the moment his muscles relaxed on their own accord, much like when the light from his eyes was removed with a touch from Baekhyun.

Jongdae’s heart leaped up to his throat. Could it be? Have they finally found his other Familiar?

As soon as the spinning stopped and his back was firmly planted onto the floor, Jongdae snapped his eyes open and welcomed his Familiar with a smile.

Only to have a knife pointed at him in return.

“How did you find this place?!” The holder of the weapon spat, feline-like eyes piercing through his soul. “I ought to—”

The creature didn’t get to finish what he said as a dark blur came out of nowhere and knocked him off the apprentice. Sitting up, the first thing Jongdae noticed was the sparkling glow now emanating from his left arm that looks uncannily similar to his right. But unfortunately, his amazement was cut short when loud noises sounded in front of him.

Jongdae watched with bated breath as the two creatures parted and began circling each other with a series of snarls and growls. But despite the imminent danger that he was in, Baekhyun was still doing his best in shielding their Cordial whenever the other creature would act as if he would strike. 

After realizing they were caught in a stalemate, their opponent narrowed his eyes at this and hissed.

“Why are you siding with _them?_ Are you blind to all the damages they caused upon this forest?”

“Okay, first of all, you need to chill.” Baekhyun barked, “Look at his wrist, kitten. He’s your Cordial!”

The creature snarled louder at the nickname. From his spot on the floor, Jongdae does his best to peer through the silver locks of the creature and spots the dark gray ears twitching impatiently underneath, making him gape in surprise. Of all the luck in the world, he had gotten another hybrid Familiar!

Unfortunately, the supposed feline hybrid wasn’t as happy with the whole ordeal as he was and pulled out yet another dagger from his belt before pointing the tip at the wolf. “Then what about you? What are you to him?”

“I’m ‘Dae’s other Familiar. I’m your partner!”

The other hybrid scrunched his nose. Jongdae would have found this cute if it wasn't for the literal death glare aimed at him. “One should be enough. I am no one’s Familiar.” 

The feline sheathed the dagger and turned his back towards the two, almost toppling over when he took a step forward. Yet, when Baekhyun offered a hand to steady himself, he hissed and recoiled from the wolf’s hand. “You’ve both done enough, now leave.”

Baekhyun frowns at the other hybrid, tail pausing from its happy wagging. “What are you talking about? The only time we’re leaving is with you!”

“And what do you need from me?” He scoffs, fixing his glare towards Jongdae. “Another mindless servant? Another source of power?”

Jongdae stands up, shrugging as he dusts himself off. “Well, a name would be nice.”

The hybrid grimaces at this, but a few moments later, he sighs. “The other creatures call me Minseok.”

The clearing was immediately filled with one-sided pleasantries as Baekhyun and Jongdae introduced themselves to the feline, the former even providing a summary of their goal of finding where the human base was inside the forest so they could take it down. Unfortunately, this part of their introduction was met with a snort from the feline before he responds.

“Take them down? With what plan?” At their silence, Minseok huffs, “That’s what I thought. I will not willingly follow a puppy and his master just to get caught by those monsters again.”

“I prefer to use the term ‘partner’,” Jongdae mutters, not sure if the feline heard him or not.

Curious, the apprentice tried to focus on their link to see if he could a snippet of what the feline was feeling, only to be barraged by a wave of hostility that he had to recoil and gasp out as if he really was drowning. The last time Jongdae felt something that strong was when Baekhyun fell down the Kokobop pit, but this time, there wasn’t a single bush in sight to stimulate such a fierce emotion from him.

Nonetheless, Minseok ignored his Cordial’s concerned stare and Baekhyun’s protests and hobbled over to a thin wooden staff laying on the ground before straightening his figure with its support. Walking over to the nearest decoy, his sharp eyes narrowed in distaste at the burns and rips of the fabric. 

Jongdae felt more nervous the more the feline’s gaze flitted from one damaged decoy to another until it finally settled on the two of them, his livid stare enough to silence his chatterbox of a Familiar.

“Putting up decoys was the only way I could hide myself and my den from those muggles, and you’ve completely destroyed all of them!” He hissed, raising the burned fabric enclosed in his fist. “Do you think I can waltz back to their base and get more of these?!”

Baekhyun perked up. “Base? You know where the humans’ base is?”

“We could try to help you if you want,” Jongdae adds.

“Yeah, sure.” Minseok snorts, “Acting like the good samaritan when both of you are the cause of this in the first place.”

“Hey, what—”

“Am I wrong, wolf?”

“We already offered to help! Why keep sticking your head back in the past, lynx?”

Minseok bristled at the retort as his mouth opened to reply, but he instead shook his head and turned around. “You should know who you’re talking to, pup. Keep yapping like you know the truth and you’ll eat your words.” 

As Baekhyun silently fumed about how the other had some superiority complex, the lynx limped over to a small entranceway hidden by thick vines on the foot of the mountain, pausing for a moment before following it up. “I leave before dawn. Let’s see if you know how to keep your word, _master._ ”


	4. Chapter 4

The bright morning light and the cloudless sky was supposed to be a sight for sore eyes for Jongdae after exiting the dreary forest that was Minseok’s domain but glancing at where the beaten path was headed, he was already missing the dimmed atmosphere of the condensed woods.

Minseok glanced at his wary expression with a cold gaze. “You wish to see the human base, do you not?”

“Yes, but I don’t think going up a mountain—”

“Then let’s go.”

And without another word, the feline turned around and began his trek along the dusty trail, leaving Jongdae and Baekhyun to exchange apprehensive looks with each other. No words were exchanged between Familiar and Cordial, yet Jongdae felt the need to shrug at the wolf’s expression and give a comforting grin.

“What if he’s leading us to our death?” Baekhyun whisper-shouted. Whether he intended to make the other hybrid hear was very clear to the Cordial. “It could be dangerous!”

“You’ve made it this far, haven’t you?”

The two startled and turned to the direction of the voice, where Minseok was calmly standing on the trail with his back facing both of them. Jongdae immediately felt a wave of shame wash over him before he parted his lips to voice out an apology, but Minseok spoke first.

“Despite my distaste for trespassers in my territory, I have no ill wishes upon them, especially my master and his pup.” Jongdae squints. It was unclear if his words were laced with sarcasm or not. “Now, shall we get going?”

Jongdae glanced back once more at Baekhyun before the latter inched closer towards his Cordial, arm wrapping around the other’s before gently leading him towards the mountain’s path. Jongdae gave a thankful smile at his Familiar before looking back at Minseok. For a moment, Jongdae thought he saw him staring at them, eyes void of all hostility and...something else. 

But before Jongdae could figure it out, the feline turned away and began climbing the mountain.

  
  


It was near high noon by the time they reached the summit. Jongdae could feel his feet pulsing inside his leather boots and his breaths shortening into rapid pants, but despite his obvious fatigue, he still pushed forwards. He looked towards Baekhyun for support, but unfortunately, the wolf wasn’t faring any better.

“Are we there yet?” He whines, “We’ve been walking for ages!”

Despite his own suffering, Jongdae couldn’t help but snort. “Says the one who can use their abilities for days on end.”

“Excuse me!” Baekhyun hissed, “Creating light is much more different than...than _this._ Why should you waste your energy running away when you have powers?”

He leans on the rocky wall beside him for a moment to catch his breath while silently glaring at the steady pace Minseok had set up since the start of the trek, the latter’s staff hitting the ground in rhythmic taps.

“It’s all in that wooden stick, I tell you.” Baekhyun jokingly whispered, but then he scratched his head in confusion. “I mean, he’s a feline. Why would he need that if they have tails to balance themselves—”

“There it is.”

Jongdae turned his focus away from Baekhyun’s rant and towards where the feline was pointing at, and suddenly he was well aware of how high up they currently were. He didn’t think his heart could beat any louder than it was, but with the sight of the ground, or rather the lack thereof, it definitely tried. Taking a few steps away from the edge, Jongdae quietly held Baekhyun’s hand as he returned his gaze back to the horizon.

At first glance, Jongdae was confused as to why the sea of trees and the river that snaked through the forest was worth their climb, but after squinting through the thick cluster of leaves, he could see the few strands of dark fabric poking through the sea of green, and about one or two shadowy figures that they can see crawling in the area like marching ants. Jongdae widens his eyes. That’s it. That’s the—

“The human base.” Baekhyun echoed out.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only evidence of humans in their forest. Looking beyond the camp, Jongdae couldn’t help but gape at the dozens of small cargo boats parked right along the riverbank, hidden beneath the clumps of leaves to hide them from prying eyes. That must be their reason for how they got here in the first place, but why even choose to _be_ here?

“Each tent has about one or two pairs of apparel in these extending wooden boxes.” Minseok explains, “We are to go in, take them, and get out. No more, no less.”

Jongdae breaks away from his thoughts before looking curiously at Minseok. “Wait, that’s it?”

“Yeah!” Baekhyun wheezed out from behind. “We’re not going to take them on?”

Minseok stared down at the other. “With _what_ plan?”

But unlike the day before, Baekhyun immediately straightened and matched the other’s glare with his own. Raising his supine hand, the wolf gave a grin as the sunlight accumulated on the surface of his palm, forming a sphere the size of a small ball before he tossed it straight up. 

The orb then transformed into a bright beam that shot out into the sky and before bursting into thousands of barely visible stars, spreading through the sky until they disappeared into view. Jongdae knew Baekhyun had limits, of course, but seeing impressive displays of power still made him doubt he had them.

“Pretty cool, huh? I taught ‘Dae everything I know.” Baekhyun grinned. “We’ll send those humans back to their world before the council even _knows_ they’re here!”

Unfortunately, Minseok wasn’t as impressed as his Cordial was.

“Congratulations.” He said flatly, “Your actions might have alerted the humans of our presence before we even _started._ If that was your plan, to begin with, then you would have just waltzed right in there.”

A wave of realization washed over Baekhyun’s face just as Minseok tsked.

“You’re leading your own Cordial to his demise just to satisfy your thirst for diving into the unknown. Well, guess what? We fear it for a reason, pup.” He paused before giving him a side-eye. “You don’t even _know_ what you’re going up against, do you?”

Baekhyun broke out of his shock before letting out a snort. “Why do you think I’m teaching our Cordial how to perfect his abilities in the first place?” He crosses his arms. “Victory loves preparation.”

“Given that you’re preparing for the right battle.” Minseok responds, “Otherwise, all your efforts will be for naught.”

Jongdae could see the wolf’s ear twitch in irritation as he moved towards the other, but the feline only raised a hand to make him halt before turning to Jongdae instead. 

“Show me.”

Jongdae blinks. “W-what?”

“Show me what the pup has taught you.”

The apprentice shrinks under his Familiar’s sharp gaze before he takes a nervous glance at Baekhyun, but the latter responds by pushing him closer towards the other Familiar, muttering something in the lines of “kick his ass!” before moving over to the sidelines.

The cliff was large enough to become a tiny ring, so he didn't have to worry about falling anytime soon before he closed his eyes to focus on tapping into his core. But before he could even will out a few sparks, a strong shove against his chest sent him falling on his ass.

“Hey! What—”

“Too slow.”

“But I wasn’t—”

“I don’t care. Neither will your enemy.”

Jongdae swiftly got up and thrust his arms forward, the bright yellow sparks flying through the air towards the feline. Minseok raised his brow before spinning out of the way with surprising speed and elegance. Before Jongdae could send out another attack, Minseok was suddenly before him, staff swinging down and sweeping him off his feet.

Minseok looked indifferent when the apprentice glared up at him.

“How can I show you what I can do if you won’t let me?!”

“It’s simple. Don’t.” Minseok shrugs, “You can’t solely rely on nature’s gift just because you have it. Look towards what else you have and use them.”

Minseok’s eyes flitted towards his clenched fists for a moment before maneuvering his staff beside him to leave his front open towards his Cordial. In an attempt to take back his shattered dignity, Jongdae stood up once again, but this time, kept his eyes trained on his unmoving foe.

With one quick step, he tilted his upper body forward to jab at the feline’s cheek, yet his attack was swiftly cut off when the wooden staff landed on the side of his wrist and pushed his fist off-course, no doubt leaving a bruise later on. 

He didn’t have time to regain his balance before Minseok’s open palm collided with his chest and sent him stumbling precariously towards the ledge. He didn’t fall, fortunately, with the small curve of Minseok’s staff hooking onto the front of his shirt just before he completely fell off, leaving him to lean back into open air with only his heels touching the ground. 

Jongdae sighed in relief, but after a second or two without Minseok pulling him safely back on the ledge, he gripped the asymmetrical, rough wood and began to panic.

“Alright, that’s enough!”

Jongdae glanced over just in time to see Baekhyun place a hand on Minseok’s shoulder in an attempt to stop him, but the latter uses his free hand to grab his wrist and twist the wolf’s arm behind his back in one swift motion. Taking advantage of the wolf’s surprise, Minseok traps him in place by making him lean over the edge of the cliff, thus rendering him completely immobile.

“What about that plan now?” Minseok grunts, “I’ve seen what that group can do. A simple light trick isn’t going to cut it when it comes to their leader.” 

“Their leader? You’ve met him before?”

As soon as the question left his mouth, Jongdae watched as Minseok suddenly went rigid, falling into a brief silence. Multiple emotions swam through the feline’s cerulean eyes, too fast for Jongdae to decipher at least one of them, before Minseok abruptly pulled both of them back onto stable ground. 

Baekhyun flops unceremoniously on the ground with a relieved squeal as he stretched out his hand for Jongdae to take, yet the apprentice was focused on the wave of discomfort that suddenly washed over him from his link with his otherwise stoic Familiar. He takes one step towards Minseok and the feline takes three steps back in turn, and so Jongdae ceased his advancing immediately.

He locks his eyes with the feline and Minseok was the first one to turn away from his gaze.

“Once. A long time ago. I was unprepared, so I paid the price. ” He quietly answers, “That man burned himself in my mind despite having no face to associate him with.”

Jongdae widened his eyes at Minseok’s description of the humans’ leader. Could it be the same hooded man he encountered from before? With the red insignia, they assumed that the man was somehow linked to the human group, but they didn’t expect him to be the head of them all. 

A bout of nervousness came with the realization and Jongdae couldn’t help but shiver.

“You weren’t prepared before, but now we are, right?” Baekhyun reasons, “With your knowledge on that group and our plan, surely we can take them on.”

“You two obviously aren’t.” Came Minseok’s snappy reply, before it deflates into something more somber. “And I’m not sure if I am either.”

A wave of silence made its rounds on the cliffs before Jongdae straightened, masking his fear with a courageous facade. “Then we can start preparing now. You said our powers won’t work against their boss, right? Can you teach us another way to fight them?”

“What?! Are you crazy?” Baekhyun exclaims, “Another way to fight? Is there even such a thing?”

“There is, pup.” Came Minseok’s reply, “What’s the use of your abilities if you can’t even make a move? Speed and precision are just as important as the attack itself.”

Baekhyun gawked at his Cordial. “You can’t be serious.”

Jongdae shrugs, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “How hard can it be?”
    
    
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“Wait-!”

Jongdae falls on his back for the nth time from yet another solid punch to the ribs, his fatigued body too slow to block the jab after withstanding several of them just a few moments prior. He could hear Minseok lecturing him once again about his sloppy form, yet he pays him no mind and stares numbly at the branch-covered sky.

All Jongdae could do was grunt and loll his head to the side, watching as a horizontal Minseok closed in on him before shutting his eyes tiredly. It had been a few days since they came back from scouting on the mountain and the start of their impromptu training, but Jongdae was ready to raise his white flag and make a run out of the clearing, given that he still has the energy to do so.

But that’s not the only thing he’s not making any progress on. 

For someone who is supposed to be his Familiar, Minseok was doing a pretty good job acting like he’s not. Aside from the snide remarks and the very brief explanations on the actions he was executing (as well as his odd fascination of flicking his forehead), the feline said nothing more than what he needed to. He was unresponsive to Jongdae's greetings and attempts in creating a conversation, and it was slowly driving the apprentice mad.

He was like the complete opposite of Baekhyun, and even the latter wasn’t present most of the time during their sparring sessions. The wolf was either gone or asleep by the time Jongdae woke up and returned with the moon at its peak. Just the thought of his two guides being so distant towards him was draining.

“Let me see.”

Jongdae blinks. He glanced up to see the ever-so-stoic face of his Familiar, rounded gray ears twitching impatiently underneath his silver hair, before blinking again, totally lost in his despair-driven thoughts to even grasp at the few words his Familiar had graced him that day. With an annoyed sigh, Minseok picks him up by the arm and tugs him up into a sitting position.

Dark spots fly through his vision and it takes him a moment to ground himself and blink the obscurities away, but the next thing Jongdae comprehends is the cool hands hovering over his overheating figure, specifically on where he was last hit. He relished the heavenly sensation for a while before he realized that those hands were not his own. 

Not knowing how to react, he just reels back with a yelp of surprise before glancing at the feline kneeling beside him.

“What are you doing?!”

Minseok rolls his eyes discreetly at his screech before lifting up his palm. Flurries of white fly over his palm for a moment before the showcase comes to a halt when a small mound of ivory-colored powder was in its place instead.

“W-what’s that?”

Minseok’s frown deepened as he sighed out something in the lines of, _“My Cordial is an idiot.”_ before his hand jerks forward, squeezing the mound until a compact oval takes its place. “For the bruise.”

Jongdae skeptically looks at the feline one more time before lithely taking the compact snow from his hand, a satisfied hum leaving his lips when he pressed it over his shirt. The fabric had prevented the ice from burning his skin, but it became cold enough to numb the stinging pain. 

While he expected his Familiar to have an affinity with an element, having one of frost had certainly taken him by surprise. Didn’t Baek tell him that their abilities were partly derived from what region they were in? Aside from the occasional snow-capped mountain, Elyxion mainly consists of rainforests and meadows.

“—too high.”

Jongdae startled, “E-excuse me?”

Minseok’s oval ears twitched, “I said that your arms were too high. You won’t be able to defend yourself easily if you keep widening your stance.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Jongdae mutters, “That’s...that’s just how Baek taught me, so I can better the flow of my abilities and all that.”

“You would be down the moment you could even draw out your lightning.” Minseok counters, pinching the bridge of his nose.“This is why we couldn’t just go to the humans’ base affinities a'blazing. You’d become more of a liability than an asset even if our enemy is the muggles.”

“But shouldn’t we take advantage of that opportunity?” Jongdae questions, “We may be facing hundreds of them, but they’re still powerless, aren’t they?”

“There is strength in numbers.” Minseok easily replies, “Especially when it comes to them. Humans are smart creatures who love to play dirty. The moment enough of them get near, you’d be too overwhelmed to do anything...and that’s when _he_ strikes.”

The apprentice looks up, shaking his hand to get rid of the droplets of water from the melted ice. “He?”

The feline turns away, hands clenching into fists slightly as he considers his answer. From their link, Jondgae can sense discomfort coming in a small influx of tides, not enough to be alarming but enough to bring about the Cordial’s concern. But before Jongdae could open his mouth and backtrack, Minseok faces him once more.

“I’ve heard those muggles call him by one name.” Minseok’s blue orbs came in contact with Jongdae’s brown ones. “The Mori, their leader.”

The apprentice tried testing the name on his tongue, racking his head for a snippet of stored knowledge containing that name, yet all he got was an unsettling feeling crawling up his back that made him shiver. So the hooded man had a name then, if it really was his name.

“So that’s him, then.” Jongdae chuckles dryly, “I’ve encountered him once before.”

Suddenly, the discomfort contorted into concern that spiked through the link in massive waves, but as Jongdae was just starting to get his bearings, Minseok was in front of him immediately, calloused fingers roaming his arms and torso before the apprentice’s face was inches away from the feline’s.

“When—how—what?!” Minseok sputtered incredulously, “You’ve _met_ him?”

With nothing else better to do (as well as to exhaust their time that they should be using to spar), Jongdae retold his confrontation and defeat against the hooded man. Granted, he did leave out the part where he got electrocuted with his own powers for the fear of yet another lecture for using his powers instead of his nonexistent hand-to-hand combat skills at that time.

Nonetheless, Minseok looked perplexed by the time he finished his narration, though the flaring concern in their link had died down a bit. But what he didn’t expect was the feline reaching out to flick the apprentice’s forehead once more.

“You idiot! What made you think you could take him on just like that?”

“I don’t know,” Jongdae grumbled bitterly, “But whatever it was, it also made me think I could improve in my skills with you as my mentor.” He sighs, “And look how that turned out.”

He pulls up his torso to gesture at the several scratches and bruises that bloomed from their several sparring sessions, and judging by Minseok’s wince, he knew that he took most of the blows instead of blocking him. After a short while, his Familiar took a deep breath before his hands began to dully glow a sky blue hue. 

With a sigh, he began hovering his palms over the other male’s bruise-littered chest, and Jongdae couldn’t help but release a delighted sigh of his own as he felt the sting numb into something more manageable.

“I, for one, believe that phenomena don’t exist. No one is born smart or skilled.” Minseok suddenly spoke, “But you are what you repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.”

When the silver-haired hybrid reaches out towards Jongdae’s temple once more, the latter panics and swats the hand immediately, making the feline chuckle and pull his hand back to its original place.

“See? You learn because you knew what to expect and adapted immediately. You learned because of habit.” He concludes, “We all make mistakes, Jongdae, but we adapt and try again and again until we can finally see the snippets of improvement.”

“If there even _is_ any improvement,” Jongdae mutters.

Minseok frowned. “Say that again and I’ll give you frostbite.” He huffed, amplifying his affinity to prove his point and making his Cordial squeal and reel away.

“Hey!” Jongdae shivered at the numbing sensation settling in his core, but a niggling memory at the back of his mind suddenly resurfaced as if it was triggered by it. “Wait a minute...”

Jongdae glances down at his left and briefly examines the light shimmering of his symbol before glancing back at the glowing hue of Minseok’s palm where a small compact oval of snow was sitting on, no signs of it ever melting.

“Your affinity is ice.”

“Frost actually.”

“Ice is cold.” 

“Yes, what are you on ab—”

“It was you, wasn’t it?”

If Minseok wasn’t confused from the beginning of the sudden interrogation, he surely is now. There was no context that came after the question and so the feline resorted to tilting his head at the other with a questioning look.

“I was blinded by light seconds before I met Baekhyun, and that was his affinity.” Jongdae explained, “Yours is frost, of course, but the day we came into this clearing wasn’t the only time I felt the cold.”

Jongdae was able to see the slight shift of expressions from the other, catching the muscles on his neck and shoulders tense slightly despite the dark clothing that obscured it. That alone might have confirmed his suspicions, but he wanted Minseok to trust him enough to tell him himself.

“It was the night of a full moon,” He continued, watching his Familiar with a keen eye. “At the eastern sanctuary. You were there, weren’t you?”

At the other’s silence, Jongdae huffed. It felt surreal to finally be on the other end of the interrogation, but the feeling wasn’t very comforting. “Minseok.”

“I was.” Minseok finally sighs out, “But I wish I wasn’t.”

“But why—”

The apprentice was startled when the feline got up along with his statement, fumbling momentarily with the compacted snow tossed right at him before he was able to right himself once more. But by the time he did so, Minseok was already limping for his staff. Jongdae watched as he almost collided with a confused Baekhyun before silently entering his den, walking as if his entire balance was overthrown.

He hasn't even landed a hit on his Familiar, had he? 

“What? No snarky remarks?” Baekhyun called out to him, but he was only met with silence. The wolf takes this as a victory and plops right beside a troubled Jongdae. “Hey, where’d you get that?”

Looking down, the apprentice could see the perspiring ball of white getting smaller and smaller and a “Minseok.” was his quiet reply.

Baekhyun let out a surprised huff, “Oh wow, was teaching how to achieve a _sound body_ all too much for our kitten? I wouldn’t—ack!”

A light zap to the forearm reduced the wolf into whines. “What has gotten into both of you? I don’t deserve this treatment!”

Jongdae rolls his eyes at his Familiar’s dramatic ass before sighing. “We’ve been doing well earlier. I finally got him to look at me without a glare.” he explains, “But the moment I opened up about the day before my Crossing, it just...came back like it hadn’t even left.”

“Your Crossing?”

“Minseok was near the sanctuary I was in the night before I Crossed, and obviously, I felt his presence with this.” He briefly held up his right arm. “But before I could investigate, he just...left.”

“What?” Baekhyun cried out, only to quieten when Jongdae slaps his arm. “Why would _anyone_ do that?”

“He’s a very rational guy. I’m sure he has his reasons.” Jongdae shrugs, “I’m just upset I made _him_ upset. I shouldn’t have pushed him.”

“Of course, only you can have the moral high ground in a situation like this.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes before snickering. “But what are you going to do now? Cuddle with him and make up?”

The ebony-haired male’s cackle died down as his Cordial slowly lifted up his head as if he was considering the suggestion. But before he could protest, he was already stumbling on his feet and into the den. He wrenched his arm out of the apprentice’s grip but before he could stop himself, he had already tripped something—or rather, someone—and landed right on top of him.

“Jongdae!” The lump hissed, “I swear to nature almighty I’ll—”

“Shut up and enjoy the moment.”

“How can I enjoy the moment _if both of you are on top of me?!_ ”

Smiling sheepishly, Jongdae pushed Baekhyun off the feline before sliding half of his body off Minseok’s broad back, ignoring the deep growl that emanated from his Familiar’s chest. Despite the hostile aura he was giving off, he wasn’t doing anything to escape their pile, leaving Jongdae to believe that the feline was actually liking it (though he couldn’t say it outright for the fear of actually getting kicked off).

Jongdae hums in content as he settles in-between his two Familiars. He knows he’s going to pay dearly for this the next day, but the feeling of unmistakable warmth settling in the link he shared with Minseok was worth as much as the push-ups the feline will force him to do.
    
    
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Several weeks passed and Jongdae was beginning to see Minseok slowly warming up to him. Sure, he still couldn’t defeat him in a sparring match and the fleeting remarks were still there, but they slowly contorted into teasing comments and helpful advice the more they advanced in each exercise. Jongdae was ecstatic every time he lasted longer than the matches from before, and this time it wasn’t because his opponent was going easy on him.

In just a few weeks, he was making a lot of progress with Minseok. His reflexes had gotten better along with his endurance, and with this knowledge, he was sure he could beat the feline in a _mano-e-mano_ sometime in the future. 

After ending their spar with their very first stalemate, Jongdae lifts up his tired body from the grassy floor to do a little victory jig. He playfully sticks his tongue out at a panting Minseok before relenting to his instinct and helping his Familiar back up on his feet.

“Easy with the lightning, ‘Dae.” Minseok chuckles, eyeing the tiny yellow dots that flew out from the skin of the other’s arms before crossing his own. “You’re ready for tonight, then.”

At Minseok’s last statement, Jongdae swivels his head to face him. “Tonight?”

“The infiltration, what else?” 

The realization suddenly dawns on the apprentice as he swiftly turns his body towards the other, looking for something that might call out the feline’s bluff before resorting to a surprised cry when he couldn’t find anything. “What?! When was this planned?”

“Ever since your first sighting of the base.” Minseok responds, “The pup and I planned it together.” He paused for a moment before raising his hands to form quotation marks in the air. “Well, ‘together’. We would have gotten more done if he just stopped picking fights with me most of the time.”

Jongdae rolls his eyes fondly at this before pouting. “But how come I wasn’t informed? I could have helped you out.”

“As if,” Minseok rolls his eyes, “You were too tired to even eat supper every time we finished our sparring sessions, what more than staying up all night?”

At this, Jongdae’s deepened pout leads to Minseok swiping at the downturn of his lips with a chuckle. The apprentice was about to retaliate when another realization entered his mind. “Wait, is _that_ the reason why Baekhyun is either gone or sleeping during the day?”

“I can vouch for the latter, but the former...” Minseok shrugs, “I’ve assumed he was doing his rounds on the human base since he could identify every route I’ve shown him during our brainstorming, but other than that, I’m blind to what his actual goal is.”

Jongdae deflates slightly from Minseok’s words. It’s really concerning to hear that his once open Familiar was now withholding such crucial information from him. What if he had gotten hurt while doing those rounds? Would he have also hidden it if it was so? Checking his link with the wolf, it was the same old neutral as it was for a few days from now, but as he delved more into it, the more he could feel an unsettlingly negative emotion shining through the neutrality.

The more Jongdae overthinks about why and how this foreign feeling came about, the worse his mood became. Not before long, he could hear muffled thunder rumble in the distance before it was followed with a voice calling out his name. 

He looked towards the feline to answer but was confused when he saw the other looking at something behind him. Turning around, he sees a bright-eyed wolf bounding happily towards him.

“‘Daedae! It’s time!” Baekhyun cries gleefully, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Tonight’s the night!”

“That you’ll replace all that you wrecked, pup.” Minseok was quick to follow up. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

Contrary to what Jongdae feared, his other Familiar only replied with a wave of his hand. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” 

His dismissive attitude certainly surprised the apprentice, and perhaps Minseok as well, but the feline was much better in hiding his shock if that was the case. Baekhyun usually never backs down from a fight with the other, especially when the latter had initiated it. What was happening?

“Alright, we need to get ready!” He exclaims, shoving Jongdae towards the direction of the den before abruptly recoiling. “And _you_ need a shower. You usually never sweat this much when _we_ train!”

“My mind was sweating _buckets_ every time we finished, Baek. ” Jongdae replies, “But, I’ve been meaning to talk to you—”

“Alright-y then! To the river you go.” Baekhyun cuts off, his actions become more hurried.

“But—”

“The only butts allowed here are yours in that water, silly!” Despite his cheery tone, Baekhyun was giving a discreetly pointed look towards his Cordial that the latter has yet to decipher. The wolf mouths a “later” with a serious gaze before switching back to his bright attitude as if the phenomenon has never happened.

“Come on!” He gave a wink that meant a million things to the apprentice. “Tonight’s the night.”


	5. Chapter 5

Jongdae’s heart was beating faster than their pace as they ventured through the greenery, their surroundings almost pitch-black if it weren’t for the small orbs hovering over Baekhyun’s palms. The plan was reiterated to him multiple times by the two, and despite the minor differences in each other’s narration, Jongdae had somehow gotten the gist of it. 

“Alright,” Minseok began, staring at the crude drawing of a map on the ground. “Most of the tents that house their apparel are here and here.” He points at the two rectangles on opposite sides of the base. “I will take the left side and both of you, the right. You are to take one set per tent as to not alarm the humans of our presence and get out _immediately._ ” 

He then turns to Jongdae. “I taught you how to quieten your footfalls, yes? Stealth will be our—”

“Pfft, you trained for several weeks for _that_ ?” Baekhyun cuts off, placing the apprentice’s hand in his own. “Why waste time slinking around the camp if I could just do _this_?”

Jongdae wasn’t noticing an obvious change after the wolf had uttered those words, but with Minseok’s sudden shift in attitude and narrowed eyes, he knew something definitely did. 

“We could scout the whole camp if I used my powers! We can explore and find out what these humans are up to...”

Baekhyun’s voice suddenly sounded so far away as an outstretched hand abruptly placed itself on his cheek, rendering him frozen as Minseok’s cold hand explored the side of his rapidly heating face. A few moments felt like a lifetime to the apprentice before Minseok was able to retract his hand with a huff at Baekhyun.

“Your illusions are cute, pup, but it’ll give you nothing but a false sense of security.” He critiques, “This light trick may fool the humans, but not their boss.” 

“So are you saying that visibly sneaking around their camp is better?” Baekhyun snaps, letting go of Jongdae’s hand in favor of stepping towards the feline. “I’m trying my best here to help my Cordial fulfill his promise and your attitude will _not_ get in the way of my own methods.”

“He’s my Cordial too if you’ve forgotten.”

“Oh, really? I can hardly tell from the way you’re treating him as if he’s nothing but a burden.”

Jongdae began to feel dizzy. There was a strange burn that bloomed in his core, two separate sensations that were getting stronger the more Minseok’s ears began to twitch and the more Baekhyun’s tail lashed from side to side. “Guys...” 

“He’s a grown man capable of taking a few hits. How can he learn if he keeps taking it easy all the time?”

“A few hits? Taking it easy? By Nature’s hands, you almost pummeled him to the ground on your first week of training!”

“He’ll certainly remember it better than what you taught him.”

“You flea-bitten—”

“Guys!” Jongdae grit out, voice strangled as he took a moment to gasp as if he was beginning to drown. “Stop it!”

The whirlwind of two different emotions finally eased from his core as the Familiars realized the weakening state of their partner. They immediately rushed to Jongdae’s side to try and help him up, but he waved them off and got back on his feet by himself. 

He gazed at the guilty looks of both Minseok and Baekhyun before sighing. “There’s always more than one way to solve a problem. We shouldn’t judge others because of their differences from our ways.” He gives a pointed look at the feline before turning to the wolf. “But, we laid out plans for a reason. We stick to it and no one gets hurt.”

And with that, Minseok completed another reiteration of the plan before swiftly leaving the two to their own devices, emphasizing once more on their task before disappearing under the cover of the night. Baekhyun rolls his eyes at this before hooking his Cordial’s arm with his own, taking a deep breath for a moment before leading the way towards the edge of the base.
    
    
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“That should be the last of them.”

Jongdae stuffs the black apparel inside the pack they found in one of the tents before sealing it shut, careful as to not drop anything out of their bubble of illusion that Baekhyun created. Jongdae has to admit, it was more efficient than hiding behind barrels and boxes whenever a patrol guard was passing by. 

Exiting the tent, Jongdae began to wonder if Minseok was already back at their meeting place when Baekhyun suddenly turned around and began walking the opposite way from where they were supposed to go, leaving Jongdae to confusedly follow.

“What?” He whispered, “Where are we going? Don’t tell me...”

“Shh, it’s only for a moment.” Came Baekhyun’s reply, “I found something odd while I was scouting around here and I wanted to investigate it with you.”

Jongdae really wanted to protest, but he knew that as long as Baekhyun had already put his mind to it, he was determined to stop at nothing to get what he wanted. And now that he’s thought about it, it’s definitely one of the only similarities he has with Minseok.

“Fine.” He relents, “But make it quick. Minseok isn’t one to wait.”

“This will be a good lesson for him, then.” Baekhyun jokes, “Patience is a virtue.”

Before Jongdae could respond, a strong scent hit his nose that made him instinctively reel backward and gag a little. The smell was terribly pungent mixed in with another strong, unsettling scent that greatly irritated his nose. He knew that Baekhyun’s sense of smell was keener than his, but he was surprised that the more expressive of his two Familiars barely reacted. 

How many times did he come here so that he was almost numb to the repulsive smell?

“Here we are.”

Looking up, it seems that they had stopped just a few feet away from one of the metal cargo containers that was actually on land, though the boats were just a few feet away from it. The container was safely nestled under two trees whose branches spread out from above to hide it further from prying eyes from above.

The more they got closer, the more repulsive the smell got. It was rancid, like different herbs and solutions were sprinkled onto a corpse to prevent it from rotting, but it permeated a smell that was enough to knock even a mountain-sized Wildabeest off its feet. 

Jongdae resorted to breathing through his other airway by the time they were standing before the tightly shut door, but even that proved to be futile as the scent seemed to stick to the walls of his mouth and leave a bitter taste that made him gag.

“It isn’t _that_ bad,” Baekhyun tries to console, giggling at the nasty look he got in return. “Okay, okay, it smells absolutely horrid, but! This might just be a clue as to why these humans are here.”

“Or this might just be their giant trash bin.” Jongdae shrugs.

“Oh, come on. Be creative! We’re not going to solve anything with that attitude.”

“What I’m saying is that this may be nothing more than a few humans looking for a little thrill by poaching and settling illegally in our world.” Jongdae reasons, “The Council handles situations like this all the time. We’ll just have to report them and—”

The leaves rustling, as well as footsteps, suddenly cut off what Jongdae was about to say. Baekhyun held tightly onto his Cordial as both of them held their breaths in case one of the patrol guards passed by, but as a familiar voice rang through the air, it was enough to make the blonde male’s hair on his neck stand upright despite its quiet volume.

“Baek,” He gasped out, tugging hard on his arm. “It’s the Mori.”

“The who?”

Without any moment to lose, Jongdae immediately pulled Baekhyun towards the treeline as a reply, keeping themselves hidden behind the large trunks despite having been cloaked and camouflaged. As the conversing voices got nearer, the two were able to get some snippets of their ongoing conversation.

“—is ready.”

“Good. Let us aim for the night when the moon is at its darkest, then I’ll transfer to my new form.”

The first voice was new, but Jongdae was able to familiarize himself with the gravelly tone of the second. He could feel his heart start to pick up its pace the longer they eavesdropped, but isn’t this what they wanted, right? Answers?

“Yes, sir. And, uh...if I may ask, are the five boats filled with what we asked for?”

“Of course. What do you take me for? I spent almost a _year_ hunting every single one of them down.”

“I-I’m sorry sir. I will be showing you the finished product once my men are—”

“Show me. Now.”

“O-of course, sir.”

The two heard the container creak open and both of them immediately cringed once the putrid smell increased. Jongdae resisted the urge to gag as he peeked over the tree to see two individuals standing before the unhinged door of the container, a silhouette of a bulky figure laying inside of it.

“Ahh, a beauty, isn’t it?”

“Yes, sir. Of course, sir. Sewn and created by my men after all.” The other voice chuckled nervously.

“It’s better than every body out there. It’s...” The hooded man paused, turning around to survey the area with his crimson eyes. “There’s someone else here with us.”

Alarmed, Jongdae and Baekhyun mirrored the same panicked look before glancing back at the leader and his companion. The apprentice tried to pull back deeper into the shadows of the forest but Baekhyun held steadfastly onto his place, the latter shaking his head as discreetly as possible before gesturing to the vegetation around them. 

Jongdae immediately froze, realizing that they'd give themselves away for sure if they pulled back and moved the greenery with them. They had to rely on nothing but Baekhyun’s powers and hope that the Mori will brush them off as nocturnal creatures roaming the night. But unfortunately, the hooded man observed the clearing for a second longer,

...before the two crimson orbs turned straight at them.

“They’re here.”

But before the Mori could take a step towards them, a bright light that suddenly flashed from his side had blinded everyone in the vicinity, including Jongdae himself. The sightless apprentice barely heard his Familiar’s muted apology over the commotion that was triggered by the attack before he felt himself getting pulled towards another place in the base, the slight incline of the floor and the sound of their soft footfalls on wood being a dead giveaway on where they were going. 

Once the dark spots that danced along his vision dimmed into something more manageable, Jongdae found himself in what undoubtedly looks like the deck of one of the ships.

“We should be safe here in the meantime.” Baekhyun sheepishly mentioned. He opens one of the hatches that led to the inside before crawling inside, gesturing to Jongdae to follow. “Come on, we can—holy shit.”

“What?” Jongdae asks, alarmed. He hops down below the deck before following the wolf’s line of sight.

Jongdae couldn’t believe his eyes. Rows upon rows of cages lined the interior of this ship, each one of them containing some kind of creature that undoubtedly roamed the lands of this forest before they were captured. One glance at the frightened rainbow-tailed lemur in one of the farthest cages and Jongdae could immediately deduce who had put them all in here.

But the question remains, why?

“So this guy, the Mori or whatever, is a bounty hunter?” Baekhyun gasped incredulously. “But why would he turn to humans out of all people?”

Jongdae gave a shaky breath in return, raising a hand towards the nearest cage before pulling back once the two-tailed fox residing in it reeled away. “You—you don’t think that _all_ the boats are like this...right?”

A cluster of shouts that rang from the outside had caught both of their attention before the other could give his response. Looking through a small circular window, Jongdae’s heart leaped up to his throat as he saw the familiar silver hair streaking through the masses of humans clad in black, the bonfire being their only source of light as Minseok swerved and dodged every person that lunged towards him.

The apprentice was stunned at how well the feline managed to bring down human after human without even moving offensively, but when he saw a bright-red hue shimmer out of the corner of his eye for a split-second, he knew he wouldn’t last long.

The two were out of the boat and running towards Minseok within seconds, not even sparing a glance at the calls and orders of the humans to stop. By the time they reached a rather breathless (and pissed) feline, Jongdae drove one of his feet to the ground before multiple streaks of lightning emitted from the soles of his boots.

Rotating his hand, the yellow vein-like lines spread out around them in a circle before rising up to form a protective dome by his command, making all the humans around them take a step back for the fear of getting electrocuted. Unfortunately, the Mori takes a once-over at the dome before walking through it with ease.

“I knew you’d find your way back to me.”

Jongdae was about to fire back a snappy remark when he realized that the leader’s attention wasn’t directed towards him, but at Minseok. His Familiar looked visibly uncomfortable, but the glare he held was enough to make the humans shake in their boots.

“Have you finally realized you’re nothing without your greatest asset?” He mused, taking a step closer to the hybrid before gesturing to the boats. “Don’t worry, there’s always room in there for more _._ ”

Minseok snarled at the nearing man before glancing at his Cordial, eyes holding an unfamiliar emotion that was in-between shame and worry. Unfortunately, Jongdae wasn’t granted much time to decipher what that meant as the Mori followed Minseok’s line of sight and settled on the apprentice himself.

“Oh, you. How was your swim?”

“Quite refreshing, actually.” Jongdae sarcastically remarks, “But thanks, honestly, because without you, I wouldn’t be able to find these lovely fellows right here.”

“Ah yes, the pleasure is all mine.” He smoothly replies, “But it’s time you give them back.”

Jongdae furrowed his brow in apprehension. “They aren’t yours, to begin with.”

“Oh, one of them technically is.” The Mori grins before taking another step closer. “And I want the other just for the fun of it.”

Jongdae stands before his two Familiars. “You’ll have to go through me first.”

The Mori rolls his eyes, “What a bother.”

But before Jongdae could fire back another response, he and Minseok were thrown to the side by a sudden force, the action enough to make him lose his hold on the protective dome he had around them. The apprentice soon found out that this sudden force, however, was none other than the Mori himself, who was now holding a struggling Baekhyun.

“I’m not in the mood to play games, life-dweller.” He dawdled. Using his free hand, he gestures over to them with a small wave. “Take care of the humanoid male and cage the mountain cat. I’ll deal with this wolf on my own.”

As the humans closed in and with nothing else to turn to, Jongdae grasped Minseok’s hand before shooting the other towards a random direction in a final attempt to distract the crowd, long enough to grant them a way out of the mess they put themselves in.

But unlike the other times where lightning shot out his palms in sporadic patterns, this one just shot out a singular white bolt that shot through the crowd, dodging and swerving through the bodies until it hit the treeline on the other side of the base, right where the hidden, carcass-smelling container was.

“Fire!”

All heads turned to the blazing inferno spreading through the vegetation, and as luck would have had it, it was enough for Baekhyun to twist his way out of the distracted Mori’s clothed arms and return to Jongdae’s side. The leader intensely glares at Jongdae for a moment before turning his look of death towards the nearest human. 

“I want all of you mortals to put it out immediately!”

“Sir! But what about—”

A backhand immediately stopped him from continuing and brought him to the ground. “Three meddling life dwellers are nothing compared to what I’ve been working on for _years_! If at least one fine hair from it gets singed, _you_ will answer to that. ”

Jongdae met the leader’s flashing crimson orbs before the latter turned away and disappeared into the sea of panicking humans. But before he could figure out what that meant, he felt a hand wrap around his arm and pull him away from the chaos.

There was no time to strategize—they ran with everything they had. Jongdae’s mind went to the time they were running through the thickets in a wild attempt to stumble across the human’s base and ended up at Minseok’s den instead, but now he felt as if all excitement they had was replaced with sheer terror as they ran away from the place they wished to reach a long time ago.

He didn’t know how long they had been running, but as he took a flitting glance back, they were definitely far enough to even see the smoke rising from out of the horizon. But he was so focused on steadying his breaths, he didn’t have enough time to react when Minseok abruptly stopped and whirled around, causing him to lose his grip on Baekhyun and swerve to avoid colliding with the feline.

Jongdae had definitely hit his head on the way down, but the sudden voices ringing through the air pulled his focus away from the pounding of his head and towards his two Familiars.

“What were you thinking?!” Minseok hissed at the wolf. “Or have you ever _thought_ at all? Both of you deviated from the plan and almost got all of us captured!”

“What we did was absolutely crucial in the bigger picture!” Baekhyun fired back, “These humans are taking creatures from our world and selling them back at theirs! This isn’t about your broken dummies anymore. Multiple lives are at stake!”

Minseok was taken aback by this for a split second before his stoic facade was put up once more. “The plan was to get in, get the apparel, and get out. Nothing more, nothing—”

“Are you really that selfish?” The wolf cut off, tail lashing angrily from behind him. “There are _hundreds_ of creatures out there right now who can’t fend for themselves and you only care about hiding yourself and your damn den? Don’t you understand the pain and trauma they’re going through right now?”

“That’s the thing, pup, I _do_ understand. Not only that, I _know._ ” The feline seethes, “And that’s why I’m doing my best to steer myself away from it. Do you think all three of us can take down their entire organization all by ourselves?”

“Yes!” Baekhyun exclaims, “We had a shot in foiling their plans once and for all and we didn’t take it. We fucking _ran_ away from it.”

“Bullshit. Are you even hearing yourself?” Minseok seethes, “Our dynamic is palpable, your skills in fighting is laughable, and there’s still that hooded man who can floor at least one of us with absolute ease. Do you think we had a chance with that as our current situation?”

Baekhyung narrows his eyes, face red in anger. “W-well, your pessimism isn’t helping in our situation at all!”

“It’s called being realistic.”

“Whatever it’s called! It’s still preventing us from forming a good dynamic. You look at all the current problems we have and you don’t do anything about it. You’re stuck in the past and grounded by the present to see what the future will bring.”

“I have too much on my plate to think about something that wouldn’t most likely happen, thank you very much.” Minseok scoffs, “And if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be taking my leave. Despite the obvious setback, you’ve fulfilled your promise and I’ve gotten what I needed.” He lifts up the bag again before turning around. “You may go live your life without any regret now, master.”

“And there you go again! Running away like the pathetic little scaredy cat you are.” Baekhyun taunts, prompting Minseok to pause in his strides. “It’s surprising to see how far your limp allows you to go—”

Despite his blurry and unfocused vision, Jongdae definitely saw Minseok take two long strides towards the wolf before socking his jaw. Baekhyun stumbled back dazedly, but he didn’t look surprised nor fearful. His cocky grin was still plastered on his face and the jeering laughter definitely provoked the feline even more.

“Was that the best you can do?”

Jongdae watches in horror as the wolf rolls away just in time to avoid another punch from the other before countering with a light attack of his own that Minseok gracefully swerves. The pain in his core flared up like a fire and brought him to his knees, yet the two Familiars were too absorbed in their petty fight to even take notice. 

By the time Jongdae had enough energy to lift his head once more, he was almost relieved to see his two Familiars on the opposite sides of the clearing, but the twin hums of hostility that went through both of their links with him brought an unsettling feeling that the worst was yet to come.

And indeed it will.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Baekhyun was the first to send out a blinding beam of light straight at Minseok, the latter countering it with a flurry of his own affinity. The two beams met in the center and sustained in the air for a moment as a sphere of white before it burst outwards with an impact so great that it sent all three males flying back.

His collision with a tree had almost shut down his fatigued body, but Jongdae fought to keep his eyes open when the waves of hatred and aggression considerably simmered down. His head was pounding and his ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton, yet he could still register the sounds of shuffling and muffled voices from around him. 

Baekhyun was on him not a moment too soon, spouting out apology after apology as if he was the one he fought with a mere few seconds ago. The two Familiars looked a bit worse for wear but were otherwise alright, save for the ripped clothes and bruises.

“That could have been a _lot_ more productive if we did that from the start of the infiltration.” Baekhyun comments.

“Run your mouth again and it’ll end a lot different from before.” Minseok hissed, ``How many times should I keep saying it? We don’t stand a chance against them.”

“Their leader alone has captured thousands of creatures here in this forest, including hundreds of affinity-users just like us.” Minseok continues. His hair began to rise in agitation and Jongdae felt Baekhyun doing the same thing in return, but after a long second of staring each other down, Minseok was the first one to look away. “He was successful in apprehending every single creature he puts his eyes on...well, almost all of them.”

“I was the only one who escaped his grasp, but not without a price.” Minseok returns his gaze to glare at Baekhyun once again, but this time, he looked more ashamed; defeated. “Because of them, the king of the mountain is reduced to nothing but a peasant.” He spat, “For a tail is the honor and glory of a cat, especially for a snow leopard.”

Finally, his eyes look up to meet with Jongdae’s. “And he just ripped it away from me.”

For a moment, the clearing dissolved into silence. Even Baekhyun was at a loss for words as he kept opening and closing his mouth, an action that Jongdae would have found to be comical for the chatterbox. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in the mood for any laughing matter.

“I lived to tell the tale, as you can see, but I’ve seen others have their more vital parts taken away from them and die on the spot.” Minseok continues hollowly, “Those sick fucks harvested a limb from each creature for…for whatever demonized reason that I don’t know of. That I don’t _want_ to know of.”

Baekhyun had turned a sickly shade of pale by the time Minseok had finished narrating, but one shaky breath later, he collected himself and pressed on.

“But you had us to back you up earlier! You would have gotten your revenge if you wanted to.”

“Cutting the arms off every single human in that camp isn’t going to return my tail.” Minseok sighs, “And it’s not like I wanted to return. Are _you_ willing to go back to that wretched place after everything you’ve seen?”

“At the expense of the caged creatures in those boats? Abso-fucking-lutely.” Baekhyun snarls, “I’ve opened my eyes to the horrors of that base, and I know you’ve had too. But unlike you, I’m not one to close them back again.”

Minseok stayed silent, his back turned away from the two but they knew he was sporting his usual frown as he thought about it. Using this chance, Baekhyun steps forward and places a gentle hand on the other hybrid’s shoulder.

“We’ve left the demons out for far too long. Now, are you going to help me, your Cordial, and the masses that are about to get shipped out of our world, or are you going be a coward and run back to your den?”

After a moment of golden silence, Minseok reached for Baekhyun’s hand on his shoulder and pried it off. “The best of luck to both of you, but I stand by everything I said.”

And with that, he leaves the clearing in one swift stride, leaving the two stunned individuals to digest what happened. Jongdae immediately felt sadness blooming in his chest, yet was overshadowed by the burning determination that came from Baekhyun’s link. The light-user looked livid, but instead of lashing out, he reached out towards his Cordial.

“Then we’ll just have to prove him wrong.”


	6. Chapter 6

They were wrong.

Jongdae lets out a pained groan as he feels something dig against his side, eyes closed and jaw clenched in an attempt to force the pounding of his head to recede into something manageable. Unfortunately, he only felt his headache drawback into thrums along his temple before he snapped his eyes wide open once he heard Baekhyun’s whimper. 

He couldn’t tell if the liquid he felt trickling down the side of his head was sweat or blood, but that was the least of his concern. Right now, his focus was solely on his Familiar.

The more his head cleared of its aching, the clearer he could hear the jeers of the humans crowding around them. He felt like a circus animal getting laughed at by an audience at every single thing he did, but now that he thought about it, he might as well be considering every decision he had done in that night alone was absolutely laughable.

They carried out their attack as expected, but unfortunately, they weren’t the only ones. The humans had immediately recovered from their previous assault and were more than ready to defend themselves against their next onslaught. And with the Mori overlooking the entirety of the battle, they didn’t stand a chance the moment he stepped in.

Baekhyun fared much better against their leader than he had, managing to fool him for a considerable amount of time with his illusions. Unfortunately, all the light attacks he executed had only pushed around the Mori before he saw through his tricks and brought him down with minimal effort. 

Meanwhile, Jongdae had only managed to land a punch that made the Mori reel back before it was returned to him tenfold, causing him to blackout from the pain and, well, here we are.

“The cavalry is bound to follow now.” The man standing to the right of their leader turns to the crowd of his comrades, “Prepare the ships! We are leaving _tonight!_ ”

“But what about them?” One of the men shouts.

The Mori raises his head to this before walking towards an unmoving lump on the floor that was his Familiar. He grabs the back of his shirt 

A hand suddenly grabs at his blonde hair before pulling him onto his knees. The right-hand man examines his features closely for a few moments before shoving him back to the ground. 

“Bah! This one’s almost like a human. No feathers, no scales, nothing!”

“But didn’t he have ‘em lightning powers?”

The right-hand man turns towards the Mori, but he just stares indifferently in return. 

“This life-dweller almost cost us an entire year’s worth of work. He must pay the price.”

He could hear the crowd around them cheer in delight before he saw one of them pick Baekhyun up by the hair and drag the wolf away from him. Jongdae panics and attempts to crawl towards him, but a foot pressed down on his back and kept him in place as if he was just a mere insect to this individual.

The humans had begun running their mouth once again, their jeers and taunts piercing through the apprentice’s ears and fueled his headache endlessly. Jongdae tried to twist free from the hold this person had on him, but as soon as the foot disappeared from his back, it reappeared on his gut in a form of a kick and sent him rolling several meters on the ground.

Jongdae could feel his link with his wolf hybrid swell with concern and hints of panic but the apprentice was too focused on keeping himself breathing to delve more into it. A hand picks him up by the neck before a sense of Deja vu fills his system as his brown orbs meet the pulsing red lights that served as the Mori’s sight.

“Even after all this time, you’re still as _pathetic_ as before.” He growls, slowly crushing the boy’s windpipe with a gloved hand. “You're destructible, weak, _mortal._ You shouldn't have toyed with the likes of me, yet you did.”

Almost as if a switch inside him turned off, Jongdae felt all the fight in him dissipate as he sags against the Mori’s grip. Despite everything that he had gone through; all the training and trials he surpassed, he was still no match for the Mori. He had been stupid enough to leap so far to reach his stars that he had blindly jumped off a cliff.

And that might just be his downfall.

Glancing one last time at his Familiar, he could see him struggling wildly against his captor as his words were muffled with a heavy hand, and he couldn’t help but smile sadly. At least he still had his fighting spirit. He felt a strange sensation flash from one of his links but was overshadowed with the ringing of his ears. This was it, then. It was time for him to—

A scream buzzed in his mind before he felt the iron grip leave his neck and drop him back down, and now, he was now suffocating on the air itself. His body was reclaiming what his lungs were deprived of and he could feel the dark spots expand in his vision, but despite his current situation, he still pushed his body from the floor with his forearms to catch a glance of his savior.

Jongdae could feel his eyes water. “M-Min...”

The feline was standing stoutly in front of him, holding his staff the way one holds a weapon rather than a mere tool for his handicap. Even the Mori looked fearful for a split-second before he was able to floor his expression back to indifference, though a little agitated.

“Ahh, and the cavalry arrives.” the leader mutters, “Here to join your master?”

“I prefer to use the term ‘partner’,” Minseok spoke, a hint of a smile seeping through his words before fixing his position into a fight stance. “Shall we?”

Jongdae’s heart leaped up to his throat at the first clash, a blur of silver and red that twirled in sync caught the apprentice in a trance-like state that he didn’t notice the hand suddenly appearing out of nowhere and grabbing his arm. Jongdae startled and swiveled around the weakly beat at his captor’s chest, but he halted as soon as the familiar yelp and grumble reached his ears.

“Baek?” Jongdae murmured dazedly as the other gave a smile in return. “How did you manage—I thought you...”

Turning his focus on the group of humans that held his Familiar captive, Jongdae did a double-take when he saw the hybrid still struggling against the strong grip of two men. He was hallucinating, isn’t he?

“No, you’re not.” Came Baekhyun’s mirthful reply as if he had said it out loud (or that he had and was too perplexed to notice). With one wave of his hand, the not-Baekhyun wavered and revealed that it was one of the men all along, hidden underneath the illusion the hybrid has placed to make him look like he was the enemy. “Come on, we need to help him!”

“A-alright...just let me...”

The apprentice abruptly felt himself grow numb, almost as if his body was shutting down at its own accord. He lolls his head to face the sky just as the calls of his Familiar grew farther and farther, then light consumed his vision.

“‘Dae? Jongdae! What’s happening?!”

And then, all he saw was darkness.
    
    
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Jongdae felt...sticky?

That definitely wasn’t what he expected when he came to. His arms and neck were covered with some sort of sap that clung to his skin uncomfortably, but at least it wasn’t stinging now, right? He shifts in his place ever-so-slowly as to not agitate his wounds before he hears quiet voices echoing along the walls of the cave.

Wait, cave?

The memory of his near-death experience lingered in his mind as he slowly sat up on the pile of furs that comforted his body somewhat, shivering as the Mori’s piercing crimson orbs engraved itself into his mind. Had he died? Had they escaped? 

Judging by the cave that looked strangely like Minseok’s den, he would take a gamble and say that it was the latter, but as one question had been somewhat answered, a dozen more took its place. He wasn’t going to get his answers if he sat around now, will he?

Keeping the fox skin fur on his back, Jongdae hobbled over to the mouth of the cave and began to listen in on the ongoing conversation that two familiar voices were having, and the heavy weight that Jongdae didn’t even know was there had disappeared. They had all escaped from the Mori! 

But how?

Minseok was leaning against his staff as he argued with Baekhyun, well, more like the wolf’s back, but he digressed. Jongdae was surprised to hear the latter defending his stand of going back there _once again_ and all Jongdae heard was the hybrid spewing nonsense in his stead. Jongdae frowns. He’s had enough.

“We can’t do this all by ourselves.” Minseok huffed, “Or are you forgetting what just happened a few hours prior to the conversation we’re having now?”

“That won’t happen again!” Baekhyun says with finality, “You’ve seen what our Cordial can do! We-we can fight harder! We can—”

“No.”

The wolf swiveled around, a reply sitting right on the tip of his tongue, when he immediately deflated from the glare, not from Minseok, but from his Cordial himself. 

“Enough is enough, Baek.” Jongdae sighs, cradling his arm. “Minseok’s right. We can’t do this all by ourselves, so why keep trying?”

“But—”

“Open your eyes!” He stands up to move in front of the hybrid. “Both of us were floored the moment we stepped back in there and Minseok had put his life at risk trying to save our asses!” He stressed. 

“I may not know what happened while I was out, but escaping from something like _that_ was nothing but a fucking miracle. What more should happen just to make you tear your eyes away from that perfect dream you believe is reality?!”

“B-but ‘Dae...this is your chance! To reach the future you always wanted to have!”

“At the expense of the lives of those I care about?” Jongdae scoffs, “That’s where I draw the line.”

As silence permeated through the air, the apprentice sighs and reaches towards his Familiar.

“I’m sorry, Baek, but at this point, there’s nothing we could do.” He tried to reason, “This wasn’t our fight, to begin with.”

“No, it wasn’t.” The other replies bitterly, his look of betrayal turning into one of anger. “But it is now.”

And with that, he turned and left, disappearing through the dark undergrowth just before Jongdae could even think of a reply. The apprentice thought about running after the upset wolf yet decided against it, for he wouldn’t have anything useful to say anyway. All he could do now was tap into their link and look out for any alarming emotions other than agitation and defeat.

Thunder rumbled from above once the realization of everything that had happened finally sunk in Jongdae’s mind. They had failed and made everything worse by alerting the humans and speeding up their schemes. If they were to the nearest sanctuary now, the boats would have left and the lives of all the creatures held captive there would be on their hands.

Suddenly, Jongdae felt all-too-aware of the weight hanging on his neck. Looking down, it was none other than his pendant. It had been a symbol of power, something that he liked to boast when he was just starting out as an apprentice. He’d like to think that he was just like it; swift and powerful, but now, the symbol held a much different meaning from before; recklessness.

Taking off the necklace, he threw it as far as he could before looking back at Minseok with a sigh, sagging his shoulders before doing a small gesture with his hand. “Alright, say it.”

“Say what?”

“Anything! That I should’ve listened to you. That you were right.” He cries, “Just—don’t just stand there, please.”

“Okay,” Minseok hums, “You were right.”

Jongdae opens his mouth, only to close it again once he fully digests what Minseok said. “W-what?”

“You were right,” He repeats, shrugging. “But so was he. This wasn’t your fight from the start, but it’s hard to close your eyes to reality once you’ve opened them.”

He lifts himself up from the tree to place a hand on Jongdae’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ve learned it the hard way too.”

“I relied on my tail for everything. With it, I could run, leap, and lunge with as much grace as snow falling unto the earth.” Minseok narrates wistfully, “When the Mori just took it from me, I felt enraged, incomplete, and...and...”

“Lost?”

Minseok nods, “I distanced myself from that sanctuary even though I felt the pull of our bond because, well, who would want a crippled hybrid as their Familiar?”

“But you move as if you aren’t whenever we spar,” Jongdae points out, “And when you came to save us from the Mori and his mindless servants. You almost beat him!”

Minseok smiles, “That’s because I realized I wasn’t crippled because of the loss of my tail, but with the realization of not having one. The bitter truth carved itself into my mind and stopped me from trying again until both of you trespassed into my territory and destroyed my stuff.”

Jongdae sheepishly looks towards the other at the remark before sighing. “But our recklessness landed us into a bigger mess now, didn’t it?”

“It did.” Minseok agrees, “But we can’t do anything about it now, can we? We’ll just have to pick ourselves up and try again.”

“Try again? But how? Barging in there isn’t going to do us any good now.”

“Okay, first of all, that ‘surprise attack’ was a death sentence from the start. The pup must really believe in both of your capabilities to even _think_ of green-lighting a plan like that.” He rolls his eyes, “What we need to do right now is to strategize. Those humans will be leaving our world a few hours from now and we need to hinder their progress until we can bring all of it to a halt.”

He looks towards Minseok to see him taking the necklace from the ground before handing it back to him.

“You’re more than what you believe you are, ‘Dae.” Minseok smiles, “You sent a massive electric wave through the entire base and shocked pretty much everyone in that clearing. Heck, you even stuck the Mori onto one of the tents long enough for us to get away!”

Oh, that might explain it.

Chuckling, Jongdae delicately takes the necklace away from Minseok before glazing at the pendant, its shiny golden surface reflecting his determined expression. But before he could open his mouth to speak, a sharp pain sprung from his core and made him stumble on his feet. One of his links was thrumming violently, emitting an unidentifiable sensation that brought a cry out of the apprentice. It didn’t take long before Jongdae realized what was happening.

“Baekhyun’s in trouble.” He gasped out, accepting the outstretched hand to swiftly get himself back on his feet. He would have run back to the humans’ base too if it weren’t for the arms wrapping around his figure. “Let go! Baek went back to that place and got himself hurt! Or even worse!”

“I know that you’re worried for your Familiar, but you’re good as gone without a concrete plan.” Minseok grits out, “It’s just the two of us against Nature knows how many humans and the Mori.”

Jongdae wretched himself out of the feline's grip before whirling around to face the other, wracking his mind for a plan before his attention was once again caught by his necklace on the grass floor, and this time, the star-dotted sky was reflecting on its surface.

Picking the pendant up, a memory bloomed from the depths of his mind just as three short flashes of lightning strikes from above.

“We’re not alone, Min.”

Three long flashes.

“You said it yourself.” With one swift motion, Jongdae clips on the necklace just as the three short lightning strikes had spread across the sky once more. “There _is_ strength in numbers.”
    
    
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Jongdae swiftly tails after Minseok as they climb a long slope that grows steeper as they follow it, momentarily eyeing the lightning that flashed above them before crouching in-between the foliage. This new spot had granted them a clear view of the human base, but the scene below them was nothing short of distressing.

Most of the tents had already been taken down and a few crates were littered around the clearing, ready to be put inside the boats. But what concerns the apprentice more was the dark speck that seemed to be leaning against a pole, the figure unmoving yet important enough to be put in the middle of it all. Baekhyun’s shared link was scarily neutral until now but seeing that there brought the tiniest drop of hope in Jongdae’s system that the wolf was still alive.

“We have little time left before they leave.” Minseok murmured, “Are you sure that our backup will understand your signal?”

“They’re my friends.” Was his only answer, which didn’t ease the feline’s nerves a single bit, but it’ll do.

“Alright, our main goal is to stall the departure of the boats.”Minseok explains, “Once we can guarantee they can’t go anywhere and potentially start a panic among the muggles, we’ll free Baekhyun given that he’s the one in the middle.”

“But what about the Mori?”

“If he does show his sorry excuse of a face, I’ll handle him.” Minseok cracks his knuckles before standing up. “We’re losing time. Let’s move.”

Dread hung above their heads as they skidded down the hill and ventured into throngs of trees and greenery. This might be the final time they’ll return to the base and Jongdae hopes that it’s for a reason that’s in his favor. Otherwise, this visit won't be the only thing concluding that night.

They circled around the border of the base until they reached the edge that was closest to where the boats were docked on the side of the river. With a nod of approval from Jongdae, Minseok sets his hands on the surface of the water before calling for his affinity.

The transparent liquid gradually turned into a crystalline solid in a matter of minutes, spreading from the area around Minseok’s hands to the closest riverbend. It will take a few more moments before the humans will notice the frozen water and, by extension, the hulls of each ship, but it should be more than enough time for the duo to blend in with the panic and get inside one of the water vehicles.

Jongdae had to strain, but soon enough, he could pick up on the confused shouting that came from the ones who had already boarded and took notice of the strange phenomenon in the river. It started out a bit small scale, but knowing them, it wouldn’t take long before the panic spreads like wildfire.

The apprentice lets himself get led away from the edge of the river by Minseok before they reach another part of the base, but this time, it grants them a clearer view of what was in the middle of the base.

Lo and behold, it was none other than Baekhyun himself.

“Come on,” Minseok urges, “The muggles are too distracted by the river.”

Jongdae didn’t need to be told twice before he sprinted towards the center and slid onto his knees next to the unconscious hybrid. Baekhyun was wrapped in thick coils of rope that tied him to a wooden pole that was driven into the ground, and with multiple cuts and bruises littering his face, Jongdae thought of the worst. 

But as he gently cups his wounded Familiar’s cheeks, the latter pries his eyes open to reveal the fiery brown orbs he knows and loves.

“Get your filthy hands off of me you son of a—’Dae?”

Jongdae grins widely at this before beginning to work on the bonds with Minseok. “You’re an idiot, you know that, right?”

“I...but you said...” Baekhyun sputters, pausing for a moment to digest everything that was currently happening. “You said you’ve drawn the line with our last failed attempt. Why go back here again?”

“At the expense of the lives of those I care about?” He responds as he tugs on the last knot keeping the hybrid’s hands together. “I’m willing to go through hell and high water for you, Baek.”

Baekhyun sniffles, wiping at his eyes with the dark sleeves of his shirt before letting himself get pulled back to his feet by Minseok. “But what about the humans?”

Minseok snorts, “We took care of them.”

“Oh, did you now?”

Whirling around, the trio realized that they were now standing before an entire army of humans, each wielding a weapon of their own. The closest, who Jongdae now recognizes as the right-hand man, was sneering haughtily at them.

“The half-breed was going to be the Mori’s little snack once he achieves final form, but if you want to join him,” His sneer widens, “We can help you with that.”

Jongdae immediately placed himself in a fighting stance once the humans began to advance, tapping into his core to get as much energy as he could release to get the first line of muggles down. But before they could raise their weapons at the three, a fissure suddenly opened in between them and their targets before their side began to violently shake.

“‘Daedae!”

Startled, Jongdae looks towards the direction of the voice just as another group of people came out of the trees, but as he looked closer, he realized that help had finally arrived.

“We came as soon as we saw your call!” 

Jongdae didn’t have time to figure out who the owner of the voice was before said owner trapped him in a tight hug. “I knew it wasn’t just a phase. The Council has been informed about this and is coming over with backup as we speak.”

“‘Myeon!” Jongdae whines before burying his face in his brother’s shoulder.

“You were the only one who hasn’t come back yet,” Yixing supplies, taking one glance at Baekhyun before immediately putting most of his focus on the injured Familiar. “We’ve joked that you were too busy saving something in the forest like the good samaritan you are, but it’s started looking less of a joke now.”

“Long story,” Jongdae rolls his eyes, “But right now, there are creatures inside those boats that need freeing and an army that’s going to stop us from doing so, among other things.”

“I don’t think that army will do much now.” Chanyeol points out, glancing at the pile of groaning bodies that were on the other side of the fissure.

“Then we’ll focus on the other things, then.” Jongdae waves off, “There’s this strange humanoid creature with red eyes called the Mori and—”

A muffled roar echoed through the night before it fills its volume just as tearing metal sounds in the distance. Jongdae trails off his sentence before glancing towards the cluster of dead and ashen trees that were the victims of the wildfire he created, squinting at the area until a pair of crimson eyes shone through, followed by another, then another, until hundred of glowing dots appeared before them in the darkness.

“The Mori.” Jongdae muttered before turning to the group, “Free the creatures and keep the humans off our backs, we’ll take care of this.”

“Wait!” Junmyeon protests, grabbing his brother’s arm. “You’re not facing that-that _thing_ alone!”

“I’m not,” Jongdae smiled, shifting out of his brother’s grip to stand in between Baekhyun and Minseok. “I have my Familiars with me.”

Realization dawns over the elder’s features before he gives a hesitant nod, eyeing Jongdae once more in concern before turning towards the rest of the group to bark out orders. Jongdae was relieved to see his brother assuming the role of the leader to lessen his duties, but the reprieve was gone as fast as it came as soon as whatever the Mori turned into leaped out of the shadows and into the clearing.

The apprentice didn’t know if his gag of disgust came from the creature’s smell or figure, but whichever it was, it was enough to bring out the same reaction from his Familiars and friends.

“Mother Nature almighty.” Minseok murmured.

The Mori was now a horrifying amalgamate of the different creatures of Elyxion, with limbs sewn or melded together in whatever way possible that shows off an unnatural look that only a mutated vineyard could pull off, and that was putting it lightly.

The Mori was now a four-legged beast with a dozen more legs and arms sewn onto its gray, bulky body. Five heads of all shapes and sizes were clustered together on one elongated neck that marveled at the apprentice because of how it was able to hold onto them. 

Finally (because Jongdae was beginning to get sick just by observing it), multiple tails swished around behind it, one of them, Jongdae recognized, being a long, gray, rosette-spotted one that belonged to his Familiar.

“Holy fuck.” He hears Kyungsoo mutter before calling out, “Jongdae, the Mori is a Spirit Guide!”

Jongdae didn’t have time to react to his statement as the four heads of the Mori began to cackle as it lumbered towards them. The fifth one, being the head of a petrified nymph, opens its mouth to speak. “Like my new look, life-dwellers?”

The monstrous beast lunged towards them with a roar, barely missing the apprentice’s head with his scorpion-like claw before it landed back on the ground with a loud thump. Jongdae felt himself freeze up in fear as all five heads turned towards him in sync before giving their own renditions of a smile, barely missing another one of its attacks as Minseok pulled him down just in time.

Startled out of his daze, Jongdae shot another one of his white bolts that went straight for the Mori’s lion head, but unlike before where he was able to absorb it with a cackle, the lion shrieked and twitched wildly. Jongdae shared a surprised glance with his feline partner.

“It worked.” He breathed out, “It worked!”

Minseok nods firmly before helping the blonde male stand up. “It’s time to hit it with everything we got.”

“Baek!” Jongdae immediately turns to a confused wolf hybrid. “Set me up!”

Baekhyun thrust his hands towards him before multiple look-alikes filled the clearing, some standing stagnantly while others ran around without any care in the world. Glancing back at the Mori, he could be seen flitting his heads in different directions, trying to stomp on as many of the not-Jongdae’s that run past him.

“What is this?!” It bellowed out, “I can't repel your powers? I-I can feel? What have you done to me?!”

“You may be powerful now, but you’re forgetting one thing,” Jongdae exclaims, a charged sphere hovering over one of his palms. “No matter how big your vessel is, you're still destructible, weak, _mortal._ ”

Pulling his arm back, he then propelled the orb towards the beast with a breathless chuckle. "And that shall be your downfall."

Attack upon attack rained down towards the iron hide of the Mori, which definitely kept it distracted, but not enough to bring it down. Jongdae panted heavily as he shot out another bolt from the skies and onto the monster, but other than a pained screech from the giant antler-crowned head, it continued to charge towards them with as much vigor as it had before.

“‘Dae!”

Jongdae barely had time to react to the call when a lizard-like tail swung in his direction and sent him flying to a nearby tree. Opening his eyes, he could see the Mori chasing after multiple mini-Baek’s just as a circular orb rolled into his view. What’s this?

Sitting up, he picked up the strange object and held it between his fingers before he saw a cluster of them placed all around his fallen pouch, their color pattern enough to place a recognizable name in his mind

“Kokobop.” He gasped, “Wait a minute.”

Stuffing the berries back into the drawstring container, Jongdae got up and began running back to the battlefield, an idea slowly formulating in his mind.

He gave a quick rundown of it to his two partners as the Mori was busied in steadying himself against the cold winds Minseok conjured up, and the Familiars displayed two similarly different reactions from each other.

“That’s the spirit!” Baekhyun clapped happily. “I’m ready when you are!”

“It sounds ridiculous,” Minseok comments incredulously, “But stupidly practical enough that it might just work. I’m in.”

Jongdae’s chest began to swell from hope as he tightly gripped their secret weapon. “On my count.”

Minseok ceased all of the wind before the two Familiars ran to each side of their Cordial, a considerable gap in between them and their partner.

“One.”

Jongdae began waving his hand up in the air to catch all of the heads’ attention. But unlike before, he smirks haughtily at them and readies himself.

“Two.”

Now the Mori was running, its four paws, claws, and pinchers digging into the ground as it began to prepare himself to ram at its tiny opponent. The moment it vaulted towards him, the apprentice gave one last battle cry before tossing the pouch up in the air and rolling out of the way.

Twin beams of light and ice met in the middle, colliding with the drawstring bag and made it burst into thousands of rainbow-colored particles just as the Mori leaped into it, the tiny debris no doubt hitting all five of its heads. 

Looking up, Jongdae scrambled back when he saw the hulking figure of the monster looming over him, but as soon as he saw the glassy-eyed heads, he shot one last powerful bolt at the Mori before its limbs buckled and tipped over himself, crushing every single tent and crate that weren’t already demolished from his wild rampage.

Jongdae takes one more look at the unmoving body before he feels a few someones collide against his tired figure, their victorious laughter more than music to his ears after getting deafened by the nonstop roars of the beast.

“We did it!” Baekhyun cried out, “We finally did it!”

“It’s over.” Minseok smiled, tiredly curling himself into his Cordial’s chest. “We’ve won.”


	7. Epilogue

The post-Crossing ceremony had gone on for a few hours too long and Jongdae was more than sure that Baekhyun had raised up an illusion to hide the fact that he was playing on his phone (something that Jongdae still hadn’t forgiven Chanyeol for giving to the wolf), but once the party had begun and formalities had been forgotten, the hybrid was buzzing with excitement.

“‘Dae, look! They have a chocolate fountain!” Baekhyun squeals, watching in awe as literal chocolate bars sprout out from the top. “Come on! We _have_ to try some!”

“We’re in a gathering with the Council, Baek.” Minseok rolled his eyes as he hid his amused grin in a serious facade, something both of them had learned to see through. “Have some common decency.”

“Aww, don’t be so salty, Minnie.” The other coos, “We’ll run by Marshmallow Meadows on the way back.”

“Marshmallows?”

“Guys, focus.” Jongdae tuts. He pulls both of them away from the endless banquet table and towards the one reserved for him and his friends. “See, we’re the last ones to get here. Hey, guys!”

“‘Daedae!” Chanyeol greets him first with a hug. “Took you long enough!”

“We had some of the press pull us off to the side after the ceremony.” Jongdae explains sheepishly, “The governor also invited us to their table, but of course, I declined.”

“Ah, friends before fame all the way!” Yixing cheered before turning to Minseok. “Have you considered their offer, yet?”

“A new tail really is nice, but I stand by my decision,” Minseok responds before bowing once more at the healer. “Thank you for the recommendation but I learned that I’m better off without it.”

“Aww, at least give it a thought.” Baekhyun slides himself beside the feline. “They say that snow leopard tails are _really_ fluffy and warm!”

Minseok flicked his ears and huffs. “I am not letting my tail be your personal scarf, pup.”

“But you use mine for the exact same reason!”

“But you don’t stop me now, do you?”

The group laughs at the innocent smile Minseok displayed before he distracts the other by rubbing his silver fur against the side of the other hybrid’s neck, making the latter preen and dissolve into happy whines and whimpers. 

“Ahh, I wish my Familiar could talk like that,” Chanyeol mused, “I mean, technically Toben _could_ talk to me, but I’ve given up on giving him commands when all he wants to do is to run around.”

A white tiger paused at their table momentarily to rub itself against the tall male before running off again to the garden, leaving Chanyeol to gesture to its leaving figure before he pouts. Meanwhile, Minseok had to grab the back of Baekhyun’s neck to stop him from following.

“The new world shall open up in a few moments!”

Jongdae and his friends stand up immediately at the emcee’s announcement, all looking at each other with excited and euphoric grins before glancing at the opening door at the farthest end of the room. This was it. This was their final trial before they can truly call themselves wizards in their world. 

Nervousness bubbled from Jongdae’s chest as he clung onto both of his Familiars, standing up straighter as he felt them pour every bit of warmth and love through their links before he gave them thankful smiles.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” He chuckles. “Lead the way.”


End file.
